Yahoo Autos The RACER Guest Mailbag with IndyCar president Jay Frye
It’s been a few years since we’ve invited a motorsport luminary to do a special Mailbag takeover, and who better to break that drought than IndyCar president Jay Frye?
Frye will be well-known to the vast majority of RACER.com readers, but for those in need of a quick recap, his path to helming the day-to-day operations of the NTT IndyCar Series began with stints at Anheuser-Busch, and later Valvoline Racing. From there, he held executive positions with NASCAR teams MB2 Motorsports and Red Bull Racing before moving to Hulman Motorsports as chief revenue officer in 2013, and became IndyCar’s president of competition and operations two years later. His success in that role led to his being appointed IndyCar president in late 2018.
We’d like to thank Jay for taking the time to answer questions from a readership that includes a lot of IndyCar’s most passionate and knowledgeable fans.
Oh, and while this does not mark the return of the Guest Mailbag as a regular feature, you will see more of them at irregular intervals going forward. In fact, we already have our next guest waiting in the wings. Watch this space…
And now, over to Jay:
Thank you for the tremendous questions. We know INDYCAR fans are as knowledgeable as any fan base in any sport. Your love and passion are on display every race weekend. Because of that, I wanted to address every question that was submitted. We are proud of our product and believe the vision for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will continue to bring the best racing on the planet for a long time to come.
Q: As a lifelong Indy 500 and IndyCar fan, as I reflect upon the season up to this point a comment and couple of questions come to mind.
Comment: The improvements in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar overall you and Doug Boles have led since Roger Penske assumed ownership are clear and appreciated. Particularly notable is the professional manner in which the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the series overall are being operated, the increased number of teams and associated improvement in competition across all of Indycar, and the access to full coverage of each race weekend available through Peacock.
Questions:
1. What are the top three priorities of your rolling five-year plan and the targeted timing for completion of these prioritized action items?
2. What opportunities and challenges do you envision for IndyCar associated with reports that three of the top young drivers in the IndyCar series, (Palou, Herta, O’Ward) all are actively pursuing F1 seats or have expressed a desire to move to F1 within the next couple of years?
3. Given the concerns expressed about the application of rules associated with the multiple red flags at the end of the Indy 500 this year, do you expect revised or clarified rules to be implemented for next season in a manner that teams and drivers can formulate their race strategies to align with a clear understanding of the use of the red flag?
Thank you for making yourself available to answer questions!
Doug Stair
JAY FRYE: Doug, let’s go one by one (and thank you!):
1. The hybrid, a third OEM and continued fan outreach and engagement.
2. We work hard to be a series that attracts great teams and drivers. Those three drivers are certainly that.
3. We will continue to do all we can to finish races under green within the posted distances.
Ongoing fan outreach is one of IndyCar’s main priorities for the next few years. Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment
Q: Recently on Conor Daly’s podcast, Will Power mentioned something about different sidepods and larger front/rear wings coming for speedway trim. Any idea when we’ll get to see them?
Brandon, South Bend
JF: You’ll see them in 2025.
Q: The one good thing about the Dallara IR-05 and the Panoz GF-09 were that the sidepods were flat, which made for great sponsor optics. The original and manufacturer aero kits were almost unreadable even standing still from most angles, and while the UAK is a great deal better, the curve at the front and bottom of the sidepod still makes the sponsor area smaller or forces the logo to fold down into a shadow. I know IndyCar and Dallara design for function first and then form, but have they given any thought to better sponsor optics for the new chassis?
Buddy Campbell
JF: When we designed the UAK18, we commissioned a sponsorship “heat map” from an outside marketing firm that actually showed increased coverage versus the previous car design. The aeroscreen has also added additional branding opportunities.
Q: I imagine you would agree with the idea that one of IndyCar’s strengths is the need for drivers to be talented across all disciplines: road/street/ovals. While I enjoy the road and street courses, there’s nothing that can match the spectacle of Indy cars on an oval, yet we find ourselves with only five races on four oval tracks. What do you think is the solution for ensuring that our current oval events remain strong while also looking to additional opportunities to add more ovals to the calendar?
Mitchell Slagh
JF: We love ovals! There are many factors involved and it’s more complicated than you would think.
Q: Since the late ’90s, many street races have come and gone in American open-wheel racing. NASCAR recently took a page from the book of IndyCar and put on its own street race in Chicago. Despite a wet start to Sunday, the Cup race was great. RACER’s Mark Glendenning reported that 80% of ticketholders for the Chicago street race were first-time race attendees. It was also the most watched NASCAR race on NBC since 2017. So, obviously the race was an overwhelming success.
So, my question is: How does IndyCar respond to the success of NASCAR’s first Cup race on a street circuit?
Historically, IndyCar did not have to worry about NASCAR trying to mimic IndyCar’s affinity for street racing and the festival-like atmosphere which accompanied these races. Now, it makes me wonder if the success of the Chicago race will cause NASCAR to look toward scheduling more street races in other markets. I know you cannot speak for NASCAR, but you can for IndyCar.
I am just wondering if NASCAR’s newfound interest in street racing is a cause for concern for IndyCar? Surely IndyCar has taken notice of NASCAR’s first street race in Chicago and the success of it.
Ken, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
JF: Ken, Chicago was a great event — congratulations to NASCAR. We are very proud of our street course events at St. Pete, Long Beach and Toronto, which have all been part of the INDYCAR schedule for years, as well as all of the great things going on at our newest street courses at Detroit and Nashville
Q: Will IndyCar adopt a blue flag rule similar to what’s used in F1?
Rob, Rochester, NY
JF: No, but we have some ideas that we will discuss with the teams and drivers prior to the 2024 season.
Q: Why not bring back the Triple Crown? This time, instead of three 500-milers, use Long Beach, the 500 and Road America. Street course, oval and natural road course. Perhaps buy an insurance policy through Lloyds and offer a prize of $25 million to the driver who wins all three races in the same year. I would think the promotional value would be huge.
Rick Smith, San Diego, CA
JF: Rick, we have a similar program in the “PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge,” which Josef Newgarden won in 2022. The first driver to win a race on each discipline (oval, road course, street course) wins $1 million, to be split between the winning driver/team and the driver’s chosen charity.
Q: Why is the IndyCar Series rulebook no longer available on the IndyCar website for the fans?
Rick Johnson, Lynnwood, WA
JF: The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone rulebooks are available to anyone at https://paddock.indycar.com/rulebooks, but as to why they are not linked on the websites, we will investigate and get that fixed.
Q: Has IndyCar considered not counting caution laps for oval races? USAC uses this practice to ensure fans see green-flag finishes. Even if instituted for the final 10 laps, the show would improve in my opinion.
Carl Anderson, Port St. John, FL
JF: No — we have pre-determined broadcast windows.
Q: What are your short- and long-term objectives in terms of evolving the IndyCar event schedule?
Gregory Scott, West Roxbury, MA
JF: To continue to have a very diverse mix of events.
Q: I understand that the current technical focus of the sport is the successful deployment of the ERS hybrids in ’24. However, what is the series vision as far as the DW12 chassis is concerned? Continued evolution, or is there a longer-range plan for an eventual replacement?
Also, we are now four years past the last running of the ABC 500 at Pocono. Nazareth Speedway is long gone. Is there any initiative to add a race somewhere in northeast?
Harrison Langley, Hershey, PA (former Nazareth Speedway rat)
JF: Although it’s still called the DW12, our current chassis is very different than the original — here’s a side-by-side image:
Q: As a longtime IndyCar fan here in Toronto, I’ve had to deal with one Canadian cable company after another which get the broadcast rights and then treats the IndyCar series and fans with contempt. The current rights holder TSN has five national cable channels available and always has a viable slot for a live race broadcast or timely re-air available, but they put all the practice, qualifying and races on a streaming platform and only once have broadcast live. They have promised to put the Toronto race on the network as an exception, but that would be the only benefit, since it’s not one of the races that are on NBC which are easily obtained by nearly everyone.
TSN also advertise that they’ll begin charging more for their streaming service sometime soon and I can state emphatically that given how limited value I get from TSN with it being the most expensive cable channel already, I won’t give a moment’s thought to the possibility of being charged more and having my IndyCar viewing limited to streaming. It’s easy to find an alternative source, though not an approved one, but I’ll do what I have to.
Having practice, qualifying and races themselves all on a cable channel would automatically access a much broader audience along with the associated commercial benefits, and allow time-shifting to capture more of an audience as well. At a minimum, a broadcast rights holder should commit to putting the races that are not on NBC onto a national cable channel, and it’s something I hope you consider demanding when you next negotiate a Canadian broadcast rights holder so they actually become more of partner instead.
Rick Moris
JF: Rick, we are always looking to improve the customer experience. However, having just come out of the Honda Indy Toronto, it was great to see TSN’s intense coverage of the entire race weekend including full reports and live interviews on SportsCenter.
Q: Does IndyCar have any plans to develop a fuel cell propulsion formula? Or a full EV formula? Perhaps working with the ACO’s fuel cell programs for Le Mans? Honda and GM are working jointly on fuel cell and EV plans, as are several other automakers who also race. Seems IndyCar should be part of this move forward!
Ed Joras
JF: We race 100% renewable race fuel from Shell. It will enable a 60% life cycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to fossil-based gasoline.
Q: The one surprise since Roger Penske took over IndyCar is that a third engine supplier has not come on board (yet!). Sounds like there have been several close calls, and I was sure hoping the Toyota speculation was real. I would appreciate hearing you address what the roadblocks may be, based on what they hear from prospective suppliers. IMSA has several engine suppliers, and the word “relevant” is always mentioned. If a 2.2-liter turbo V6 with hybridization running on 100% renewable fuel, at the largest spectator sporting event in the world (not to mention the most competitive series in the U.S.) isn’t relevant then what is? Chevy and Honda are fantastic, but IndyCar is very vulnerable if either of them get restless!
On that same topic, I believe an IndyCar engine has to be badged by an automobile manufacturer? If that is the case, then could McLaren (a commercial car company) become an engine supplier if it wanted to, or would IndyCar not allow a competitor to build engines?
Forrester Morgan, Myrtle Beach, SC
JF: We work on that every day. Building engines is a big, long-term commitment. The industry is also rapidly changing.
Q: Can you shed some light on the thought process behind potential overseas races being non-points paying? From my outside looking in, it seems like a big commitment to travel that far for a non-points event.
Has there been an effort by race control and the drivers to reign in some of the contact and resulting non-calls from race control? It seems like race control has been consistent in the types of incidents that they’re letting go this year. Consistent officiating is a good thing for all involved, but I think some of the contact needs to be reeled in and expectations reset for next year. The Rinus VeeKay/Felix Rosenqvist non-call at Road America sticks out in my mind as an extremely low-percentage move that was never going to work and should 100% be penalized moving forward.
Can you share when the new speedway wing package will begin testing?
Joe
JF: An exhibition event could be a good opportunity to test a market and race for future consideration. It also would do so without disrupting the current championship.
As for officiating, we don’t want race control to be the storyline. Hard racing, within the rules, is what INDYCAR is all about.
Q: I’m from Brazil and I would like to know if there is a better marketing plan to publicize IndyCar, to reach larger audiences on TV and find new fans who don’t even know about the series?
Also, why insist on repeat races like the IMS road course? There could be races in other venues instead such as Milwaukee, Kentucky, Michigan, Chicagoland…
Eusebio Sachser, Brazil
JF: The second date at IMS was very important in 2020 to ensure we had a season. It is also a unique and great opportunity to run with NASCAR.
Q: What are the possibilities of more IndyCar races in Canada, Mexico or South America?
Paul Sturmey, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada
JF: All are possible!
It’s been a decade since IndyCar last raced in Brazil, but a return to South America — along with some other international destinations — remains a possibility. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
Q: Rapid fire:
1. Have you thought about changing the points system to the old CART points system? I would love to see midpack battles fighting for points?
2. Speaking of points, a non-points race just sounds dumb. Why entertain the idea? If it is on the schedule, it should count.
3. We love loud cars. When every other racing series is reducing noise, go the other way please. Also, can we get back to 1000hp?
4. Why can’t we just keep the pits open under yellow when possible?
5. What is your vision for IndyCar the next five years? 10 years?
Hutch, PA
JF: Rapid fire answers:
1. No. We already have great midpack battles, illustrated by our record number of passes over the last few seasons.
2. No — see Joe’s question above.
3. We like loud and fast!
4. We implemented the current rules regarding pit lane to prioritize safety.
5. To continue to entertain INDYCAR fans with the best racing product in the world.
Q: As you know, right now there’s 10 full-time teams and 27 cars. The amount of cars per team, however, appears to be lopsided with some running four or five cars while others just run two cars. One has to wonder why there’s no mandate on the amount of cars per team?
I personally would like to see IndyCar have a legitimate team championship with three cars per team, as I think it would significantly draw more interest from non-racing fans who just want follow the teams without fully investing themselves in the nuances of IndyCar.
Kevin P.
JF: Kevin, that’s an interesting idea. However, INDYCAR already has a version of that in our manufacturer championship, which has been an intense battle over the last few seasons with our partners, Chevrolet and Honda each claiming the title. A third OEM would intensify that fight.
Q: With the extra 100hp provided by the ERS coming up next year in IndyCar, will we see higher top speeds? Assuming the current 50hp P2P system increases your top speed by 5 to 8mph (depending on the track); what numbers can we expect with twice as much extra power? Could we see cars hitting the 200mph mark on road and street courses? For example, at Road America or down Long Beach’s Shoreline Drive? If so, could this require some of the tracks to upgrade their safety features and equipment?
Also, is Xtrac still expected to change its IndyCar gearbox, or at least make it lighter, to compensate for the extra weight of the ERS? If so, how much weight will be shed? And if higher top speeds are to be expected next year, is it going to come with higher ratio gears? Lastly, with this and the fact that it will be lighter, do you think its reliability could become an issue?
Xavier
JF: The original hybrid system was going to add over 160 pounds to the current car. All of our partners have worked hard to reduce that number. The end result is a more manageable 70 pounds.
Q: After the success of “100 Days To Indy,” I was wondering if there has been any thought of making a docuseries that follows the entire season all the way to the championship?
Josh, Havertown, PA
JF: We like the “100 Days” format.
Q: First off, I want to thank you for being a part of this Mailbag. We appreciate what you do for the sport that we love. I have a handful of questions that hopefully you’re able to answer.
What is the process of adding a new event, and how does that apply to the 2024 schedule?
How does race promotion work, and what is IndyCar doing to better promote its products? It seems like there is inconsistent promotion (for example, comparing Iowa and Texas). I try to get my friends to watch IndyCar but most of them will just talk about and watch F1. I guess I’m asking how IndyCar will market itself in comparison to F1 (at least here in the U.S.).
My dad would like to know if/when will the series return to tracks they used to race at. For example, the streets of Sao Paulo.
How difficult is the logistical side of IndyCar and what goes into it? Is everything race control, timing and scoring, medical, etc., uses brought to each track by the series or is there a significant amount of equipment that you use already at each track?
What is IndyCar doing to get college students involved in the sport? Many students want a career in motorsport (myself included) and IndyCar would be a great series to work in.
Again, thank you for being willing to answer our questions.
Jack, Danville, IN
JF: Jack, thank you. Everything is handled internally. We travel 125-140 people every week including our own medical team and the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team. No fewer than 10 units (trailers, motorcoaches, transporters, etc) hit the road for each race. IMS Productions use an additional seven trucks to handle all of the series’ production duties. Add it all up, the entire fleet travels more than one million pounds of equipment – and all on Firestone tires.
I would encourage you to check out the INDYCAR job portal, where you can post your resume for potential employment/internships with teams and partners – https://epaddock.indycar.com/careers.
Q: I realize the rest of my comments/questions will seem like complaints, so I’ll start off with something positive: I’ve really been enjoying watching all the IndyCar sessions asynchronously through Peacock. Watching the races live doesn’t fit my schedule, and the ability to watch whenever I can has made the fan experience much better.
I’m also happy to see IndyCar including a hybrid system for next season, and think the variable energy regeneration strategy that series and OEMs have chosen is an interesting way to do so.
OK, on to the complain-y bits:
Is there any work being done to replace the camera pod that sits on top of the roll hoop of the cars? 360 degree camera tech has progressed quite a bit over the past couple of years, and I would think that something like that could be fit into a much smaller package than the current camera pod. With the push to break the track record at Indy, I would think any possible drag reduction would be appreciated.
Any update on the state of the IndyCar video game that was originally supposed to be released this year?
JB
JF: Yes! We are evaluating the camera. Also remember, over the past two years, INDYCAR has had the fastest pole, front row and field in Indy 500 history. Finally, progress is being made on the video game — more to come.
Is an upgrade to the roll hoop camera on the cards? James Black/Penske Entertainment
Q: Huge fan of IndyCar racing and have followed it for years. While the series has increased exposure locally, there still seems to be a missing national outreach. Sirius Radio has a sports update on Mondays rehashing the weekend’s events, and never includes the IndyCar races from the weekend. Additionally, I get my news from CBS Sports, which lists NASCAR, Formula 1, and even SRX. No IndyCar. There hasn’t been an IndyCar sponsor who has used an IndyCar or driver for some time, either. When traveling outside the Midwest, there is hardly any coverage in bigger markets. What is being done to address this?
Second question is regarding a third engine manufacturer. With the struggle to secure a third, why not offer branding to other components? PFC brakes, could be rebranded for “Hawks” or some other brand that wants to pay IndyCar/PFC. The gearbox can be an “Allison” gearbox, with money to IndyCar/Xtrac. The aeroscreen could be rebranded the “PPG Glass aeroscreen.” Basically, it would be creating some money for the series, branding opportunities for some of the suppliers, and hopefully more exposure through organic marketing.
And finally, can we have a new car or cars? IMSA seems to have nailed it with new cars sharing like components.
JC. Indianapolis
A: Sirius XM is a tremendous partner that features the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on a variety of channels, throughout the year. I’d encourage you to try NBC Sports for your news as they have also been great partners and have increased their online coverage this season.
We just completed a mid-year recap and media coverage is up from last year. Our team is always looking at new media outlets, as the business model for traditional media continues to change.
Q: I was wondering if there was any thought to replacing the IndyCar Series championship trophy with something that reflects a more modern, up-and-coming, futuristic symbol of the series? I understand the reason behind the Astor Cup and what it was supposed to do, but I think we are past that and today’s IndyCar culture wants something more modern.
The majority of the present IndyCar Series fans have no clue what the Astor Cup represents. It was used for two races — 1915 and 1916 at Sheepshead Bay Speedway in Sheepshead Bay, New York — and that was it. Granted, that is a lot of history, but does that have any similarities to the most cutting-edge racing series on the planet?
Steve, Danville, IN
JF: We like the Astor Challenge Cup as the concept of that trophy follows the model of the Borg-Warner Trophy, Stanley Cup and Vince Lombardi Trophy. There is one trophy with a rich history and equity.
Thank you again for all of the questions, and thanks to RACER for the opportunity to speak directly to our fans. The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone seasons have proven to be exciting. We look forward to crowning a champion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
