Yahoo Autos The RACER Mailbag, July 5
Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. Due to the high volume of questions received, 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.
ED’S Note: Tomorrow (July 6) is the last day to submit questions for our upcoming Guest Mailbag with IndyCar president Jay Frye. If you want a chance to go straight to your source with a question about the IndyCar Series, please send it to guestmailbag@racer.com by 5pm ET.
Q: What’s the deal with Chip Ganassi Racing? Potentially losing Alex Palou and Marcus Ericsson in the same year is not good business.
Based on results it is one of the best teams around, however Palou was being paid extremely badly and Ericsson brings a sponsor. Does this team have funding issues? Is Chip refusing to pay Marcus, or is he unable to? Does he pay people below market value and pocket the sponsorship as a strategy?
We all know Zak Brown loves to poke the bear that is Chip, but his tongue in cheek comments at Indy regarding Ericsson were on the money.
JK
MARSHALL PRUETT: Palou signed a contract and then became dissatisfied with the amount of money he agreed to receive after signing the contract. How that turns Ganassi into the bad guy is beyond me. I’ve agreed to work for less money than I was worth when I was an IndyCar crew member, and I was mad at myself in each instance.
Regardless, the entire ordeal left Palou with no doubt that he wanted to leave and here we are with Palou set to exit at the end of the season, either for F1, if he can somehow make that happen, or for Arrow McLaren, which is the more likely scenario at the moment.
So far, we’ve heard nothing from Ganassi to suggest it intends on paying Ericsson to drive. Some of its rivals, including Andretti, Meyer Shank, Rahal, and others, do want to pay him to drive, so unless Ganassi has a change of heart — and soon — Ericsson will be with a new team next year, just as I spelled out a few months ago in one of our early silly season stories.
The car Palou drives is fully funded by sponsors. The car Ericsson drives is fully funded by his sponsor. We know Palou soured on the team over the low pay, and while we’ve never heard what Ericsson makes, you can assume he wouldn’t be trying to get paid by Ganassi — or the other teams — if he was earning a bunch of money on his current contract. You leave a team if it’s uncompetitive or you’re not earning what you think you’re worth. In Ericsson’s case, we know it isn’t the car.
Money and sponsors and contracts aside, Ericsson has proven he can win races, threaten for victory at the Indy 500, and vie for championships in a good ride. Those are the kind of skills that IndyCar teams crave, but maybe Ganassi doesn’t think he’s the real deal. That’s the best I can come up with because keeping him seems like a no-brainer, and yet, this marriage appears to be headed for a divorce.
Ganassi’s HQ might need to stock on on Swedish chocolate drinks while it still can. Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images
Q: At Road America, fans waited until the first practice session at 3:30pm, only to see an installation lap and nothing happening except for a rookie or two running for the next 15-25 minutes. Now I’m watching the same thing at Mid-Ohio, and Scott McLaughlin is out of his car after that first lap. I can only assume it’s that way at all events except the 500.
This is not a good look, or process. Is money really that tight that tire saving trumps entertainment? Does IndyCar ownership and management not care?
If so, just call it a day and make it either a two-day event or make Friday free. Either way, I can’t imagine promoters liking this.
Mike DeQuardo, Elkhart Lake, WI
MP: IndyCar pushes back and says that with the new 75-minute FP1s, there are more laps turned than the former 45-minute FP1, and while true, those stats are meaningless if the quality of the viewing experience suffers.
Your frustration with the why-are-they-just-sitting-and-doing-nothing routine is shared by an increasing number of people, based on the frequency of complaints I hear. It’s like paying to see your favorite band, having them walk out on stage, plug in their guitars and whatnot, and then stand and stare out into the audience without playing a song for 10 or 15 minutes. If that happened in real life, they’d get pelted with cans and bottles and be booed off the stage before everyone walked out.
Why IndyCar thinks this mass inaction to open most of its races — with the one and only session it now offers for most events — is beyond me. The problem here, and it is a problem, is in the amount of tires the series has negotiated with Firestone to be provided within the annual tire lease agreements with its teams. At least one more set is needed if FP1 is going to stop being a stand-and-stare routine.
Q: One has to assume that Jack Harvey is out at RLL after this season, correct? Another subpar finish at Road America (26th), and that was after jumping the start by three rows. Was a reason given for why a penalty wasn’t issued for that? Or VeeKay dumping Rosenqvist in Turn 3 for that matter?
Eric, Mequon, WI
MP: Yes, Jack is in the final year of his contract with RLL and the team has been actively seeking his replacement. There was no reason given, nor does a reasonable answer exist, for why VeeKay went unpunished. And for the sake of clarity, it doesn’t matter if it was VeeKay or any of the other drivers in the field in that scenario; that driver should have been penalized if, for no other reason, to make it clear to the rest that such behavior will not be tolerated.
Q: To follow up on the letter inquiring about an IndyCar race in Montreal, the rumor around here is that there are strong efforts to attract a NASCAR Cup race, probably in the calendar slot that the defunct Xfinity race occupied. I haven’t heard or read anything of substance about an IndyCar race. Maybe our local promoters feel like one open-wheel race a year is enough.
Also, you have to remember that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a public park and when there’s a race, the park is closed for at least three weeks to set up and then remove the installations. On top of that, the island right next to the island where the track is located is used very often during summer for outdoor concert festivals. Taking all of that into account, I think that two races a year is pretty much the limit the city would accept, and the priority is clearly to attract NASCAR.
Michel Forest, Montreal
MP: Thanks for the intel, Michel!
Q: It’s been a while since IndyCar has been in or even near New England, and there’s definitely a growing desire to see them somewhere up here. I know of NHMS and Watkins Glen, but is there anywhere else they could run?
Dave Camire
MP: Not that I can think where the track would suit the cars (Lime Rock would be amazing, but it’s not meant for IndyCar) or the last visit was a success that warrants a return (that takes Pocono out of contention), and those two options involve Connecticut and Pennsylvania, not NE.
Q: So assuming St. Pete is March 1-3 next year and you need a warm weather venue to fill the gap to Texas, it makes logistical sense to stay in Florida. The crowd is already here with snowbirds, vacationers and spring breakers. Here are the options. Steer clear of the Sebring weekend so IndyCar drivers can play there if invited.
1. Back to Homestead, and it’s an oval.
2. The Miami F1 track. You won’t get an F1 crowd, but for sure a St. Pete crowd.
3. The Daytona road course, like the 24-hour race. Imagine setting an IndyCar up to do the high banks and road course in one race! Work it in with Bike Week.
4. Sebring. No, too bumpy. Too bad, because if the track was smooth and the event worked into the Sebring 12 Hours weekend it would guarantee 150,000 spectators. Any thoughts?
Jeff, Colorado
MP: Homestead was on the series’ radar for a return a few years ago — for Spring Training as a feeling-out event — and I’d welcome going back. I have a standing rule about IndyCar not racing at places that make it look weak and unloved, and going to Miami on the F1 circuit is a perfect way to show the world you’re 5000 levels below F1. Not a chance. NASCAR ain’t welcoming IndyCar to race on its road course (I know… weird… IndyCar/IMS welcomes NASCAR to race on its road course). Sebring would be a dud since the short course would be the only part of the track that could be used.
I think your Homestead idea is the winner among the four.
We’re going to Miami. One day. Maybe. Motorsport Images
Q: Despite having been a fan since 2011, this is my first season purposefully watching every single race of Indy NXT. I’ve been very impressed with Nolan Siegel. He makes high-percentage moves, drives steadily and well beyond his years, and could well have four wins already this year. In what is otherwise a super- competitive year he’s now in position to run away with the title. As a fellow Bay Area native, I’d love to see him succeed.
My question is, since I don’t have that great of a read on the NXT field (partly as in who needs a bunch of funding and who will likely have it)? What are his, and the others in the field’s, prospects for IndyCar next year? Coyne? Rahal? Juncos?
I believe you mentioned Danial Frost will likely move up. Seems like there could be a lot of guys doing so this year.
Josh
MP: There are more solid Indy NXT kids with heavy funding who are capable of buying IndyCar rides in the next year or two than I can ever recall. Siegel looks like he’s nine years old but performs like he’s 30. And like we’ve recently seen, there are fewer available IndyCar seats than we’d hope, so the bevy of kids who can pay to race in IndyCar won’t necessarily be matched with a bunch of options to choose from. On the flipside, I’ve yet to hear an IndyCar team owner rave about any of this year’s front-runners, and we already have the sad situation where 2022’s ass-kicking title winner Linus Lundqvist has not been picked up by any team.
Christian Rasmussen has been strong all year but he isn’t loaded with funding, so he’d need to win the title and hope to take the still-unimpressive advancement prize and see if and what it might get him. Louis Foster is another one to watch, and if he can burst the bubble of bad luck that’s surrounded him, he could make IndyCar team owners stand up and pay attention. So, Nolan, Christian and Louis are the immediate standouts, along with Hunter McElrea, and one of them needs to break out over the next 2.5 months to get those owners to view them as a talent that must be signed. Minus that breakout star, it will be a case of who brings the biggest budget to the one or two seats that can be bought.
I expect Coyne to have both seats available. Rahal’s looking for a turnkey driver, not a rookie who will waste a year or two learning, and Juncos will either have no seats or be searching for a veteran to replace Ilott, if he ends up at a bigger team.
Q: Have you ever raced the go-karts at Road America? If so, what’s your fastest lap time? Would you be interested in doing a charity race next year?
Tim S., Nashville, TN
MP: I have not. My last time karting was in 2000 at a track near Sacramento and it was a blast. If they have Sumo karts and it supports something good, I’ll be there.
Q: Sounds like the 2024 IndyCar schedule is a wild card because of the Olympics, but what do you think of this idea for getting Milwaukee back on the schedule after that? I know Penske has been inflexible with the Detroit date for the week after Indy, but how about moving Detroit up three weeks to replace the Indy GP? We don’t need two races on the Indy road course, and the summer date is probably the better option anyway.
That still keeps Detroit in the 500 window and gives them the option to promote themselves as the lead-in race for the big one. Put Milwaukee back on the schedule in its “traditional” date. That gets IndyCar a much-needed traditional oval on a date that can succeed and probably sacrifices nothing in terms of Detroit success. The only downside I see is the loss of the first speedway practice day because of travel from Detroit. I’m an old-school Robin Miller Indy fan. I think this is a winner. What say you?
Alan, Orlando, FL
MP: Tearing up half the field at Detroit and starting practice for the Indy 500 two days later with a pit lane filled with people who haven’t slept is a giant hell no. Nobody loves the Indy GP, except for the flow of the event that allows teams to load into Gasoline Alley and have a smooth warming-up process leading into the 500. Trashing cars at Detroit and turning that process upside down is exactly what the teams don’t need, so let’s just trade the second Indy GP date for Milwaukee and spare the crew members in May.
Q: Watching the 6 Hours of the Glen I had to ask, what is race control thinking? That incident at the start with the disabled BMW GTP in Turn 1 and throwing the green to start the GT field was absolutely a head-scratcher. And it confused the corner workers who were throwing a local yellow, then a green, and back to yellow in a few seconds time. It’s not often something leaves Townsend Bell speechless, and that incident did for sure!
Chris Howe, Upper Sandusky, OH
MP: That was just blatantly bad, wasn’t it? I wouldn’t expect to see the same decision made if such a thing happens again.
Detroit might be a bit too rough and tumble to work as an Indy lead-in. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images
Q: I have two questions, and the first is about the No. 7 car. Poor showing late in the race for at Elkhart, but if I flip though the season, they’ve consistently been in the top eight for the majority of races. They were the lead Chevy in Long Beach before a DNF, and strong at Texas. Is there any talk of where they are at/what they need to get Alex Rossi back to form like he was in 2018 and ’19?
Second, Helio. I’ve been to every 500 since he won in ’01 and can’t imagine heading to the Speedway without him in the lineup. I’m assuming that Shank is making changes in the form of Blomqvist or Braun. That being said, what are Helio’s options for a seat in the 500?
Heliofor5
MP: Rossi’s been strong while adapting to a new team, new engine manufacturer and the different response/performance characteristics it offers, a new race engineer, and an all-new pit crew. The fact that he entered Mid-Ohio holding P7 in the championship, just 30 points Pato O’Ward and his well-oiled sister entry, is what we should focus on going forward.
Rossi’s sneaky-good, and yes, we haven’t seen a breakout run from him — yet — this year where that scary guy from 2018-19 was in our presence, but I can’t wait to see how he closes out the season and, specifically, how he returns in 2024 with a full year of Arrow McLaren experience to build upon. Does he beat Pato O’Ward in a battle for poles or going wheel-to-wheel for the win? Maybe not, but can he be the best McLaren driver over 17 races and get them a championship? I believe so.
Helio’s got eight races left as a full-time driver, at least with MSR, and if no other team signs him to be their full-timer, I’d have to believe a third MSR Indy 500 entry is his to drive.
Q: If I can go on a bit of a rant about IMSA:
What in the world was race control doing at the 6 Hours? You have a wrecked BMW GTP sitting right in the middle of the track immediately after Turn 1 and you release 29 GTD cars to battle each other at the start of their race, and then you call the yellow only after they clear the wreck? Absolute gross negligence from the race director. If I was sitting in that BMW, I would be demanding some answers as to why I was put directly in harm’s way for absolutely no reason.
Then about 40 minutes later, we have an LMP2 car in the wall on a blind corner, only for race control to do nothing about it until he finds reverse directly into the path of the field on a blind turn. What in the world are we doing here? Are we trying to put on a demolition derby or are we trying to have a proper endurance race?
For all the flack Americans love to give FIA for the way they run their races, there needs to be some soul searching done by the likes of NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA for some of these clown shows we’ve seen this year.
As for NBC and Peacock: how do you expect me to pay for a service that goes to commercial with eight minutes to go and the battle for the overall lead happening right in front of our face? Townsend Bell was literally commentating as they cut away. So of course we missed the pass for the lead, but hey, at least we get to see a car flip upside down and a couple parade laps under yellow to the finish.
And we wonder why American motorsports aren’t growing in popularity.
OK, rant over. Glad I got that off my chest.
Troy from Troy
MP: The Mailbag couch is always open for our free therapy sessions, Troy.
Q: I was very disappointed to hear Mark Miles talk about the 2024 IndyCar schedule. I don’t like the idea of a non-points race in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico. It just doesn’t make sense for several teams to participate in a non-championship racing event unless there’s a large prize purse for the winner. Also, is IndyCar giving up on the idea of racing in the Northeast? Is there any talk about returning to Watkins Glen, New Hampshire or adding a race at New Jersey Motorsports Park? Perhaps they should bring back the old Meadowlands Grand Prix or a street race in Boston. IndyCar needs to have at least two races in that region, and I hope Roger Penske is mindful of that.
Alistair, Springfield, MO
MP: The only way teams would put on a non-points race is if the addition to the Leaders Circle contracts was significant. I don’t think IndyCar has given up on anything; it takes a willing promoter and quality funding for such things to happen, and since the series doesn’t own any tracks in that region, it would take an outreach from someone with the desire and means to make it happen.
The Boston Grand Prix… almost been there, almost done that…
Q: Why did IMSA take over 75 seconds to throw a caution when a P2 car was stopped perpendicular to the racing line in what Townsend Bell describes as a blind corner?
Kyle
MP: I have a better chance of figuring out why people think Seinfeld was funny or why the Dallas Cowboys, who haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995, are referred to as America’s Team, or why the winner of the Indy 500 is called a “champion,” than I do on answering this one, Kyle.
Q: I want to know your thoughts on the Sahlen’s 6 Hours. First of all, do you think BMW threw the towel too early on the No. 24? Even if the damage was too big, RLL could fix it and return to gain precious track time. They had six hours, for God´s sake. Porsche did it with the No. 7, for instance.
And of course, the million-dollar question: your opinion on the post-race penalty?
Daniel Borges Martins, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
MP: Did you see the race? With a tire test planned for Monday and the next race coming up two weeks later at Mosport, placing the 24 car at further risk — while having no chance of earning a qualify finish — made no sense. Porsche had hybrid components to replace, far easier/faster than what the BMW needed.
The post-race penalty isn’t one that involves opinions. There were nine GTP cars in the race. Eight GTP cars complied with the well-known skid plate rules, and one GTP car did not. The part which failed to comply is checked after every race. The Porsche did not comply so it was moved to last in class.
Rules are rules. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images
Q: Does IndyCar have a backup plan if the Toronto race gets cancelled due to the wildfire smoke? The Air Quality Index (AQI) is over 150 in western New York as I’m writing this — just 15 days from Toronto Practice 1.
Rob, Rochester, NY
MP: Writing this 14 days out from the race, I’d think such determinations would be made when the series gets much closer to race week. And with that two-week window in mind, I can’t imagine IndyCar would have a replacement race ready to go on the same date, or anywhere, for that matter. They could look to do something after the current season finale in Monterey, but the folks at Laguna Seca have been selling tickets with the event billed as the closer to the championship, so that can’t be ignored. If, sadly, the race can’t be held, I think we end up with a 16-race season.
As an aside, the series is confident the race will be held as scheduled, and considering how many races were run in 2012 with smoke pouring from those Lotus engines, there’s nothing to worry about here…
Q: Now that the results are confirmed, I guess I can finally make my final judgments on the outcome of the Six Hours at the Glen. I might be against the grain on whether or not the Penske Porsche should have been penalized, but the rules are there for a reason. They flew too close to the sun and got burned. If I were BMW and I found out that I lost to a car that was out of spec, I would be even more upset than the Porsche folks are right now.
Outside of the race results, this was the seventh Six Hours I’ve been to, and this year I camped with some buddies, one of whom was a first-timer. The event was amazing from a fan perspective, and it’s great to see the growth and the amount of people coming to this event year over year has increased dramatically. (The downside was that the pre-race pit walk was very crowded this year). Also, it’s great to see a diversity of race fans, from different ages to backgrounds (NASCAR fans, sports car fans and Indy/F1 fans).
I think what causes this growth, and what IMSA does best, is the fan access. The drivers are super-approachable and will have a chat with you. I was able to get into a few garages and see the cars up close by just asking crew members. That kind of fan-first mentality is what keeps me and my buddies coming back every year, and what gets us to bring new people to the race every year. If Dr. Panoz was still around, he’d be proud of what the series has become.
Changing gears: I’m going to the Toronto Indy GP in a couple of weeks. First time there, and first IndyCar race since they were at the Glen. Any suggestions for places I should check out or restaurants I should visit while I’m there?
Dan, Rochester NY
MP: Do you and Rob from Rochester from above know each other? If not, you should hang out.
On the penalty, I appreciated that Porsche, the biggest name in sports car racing, and Penske, one of the biggest names in global motorsports, did not receive special treatment. Sends a great message, which IMSA failed to send in its handling of the Meyer Shank/Acura/Rolex 24 penalty, that nobody is above the law. If Porsche and Penske can get the axe, anybody can get the axe.
I haven’t been to TO post-pandemic, so I can’t say what’s still open. If you’re on Facebook, join the Elite IndyCar group — some genuinely nice people there — and ask for up-to-date suggestions from its many members.
Q: With liveries changing every race, why doesn’t IndyCar mandate having driver name clearly on the car, whether on the sides or across the windshield? Every other series does. It would make for more viewer enjoyment.
Stevan Savich
MP: This is a fairly consistent complaint. Most teams have their driver’s names on the sides of the car below or behind the cockpit, but yes, for the sake of new fans or those who don’t follow every development between races, requiring something larger in a fixed place high on the sides of the aeroscreen would be a smart development.
Q: Can you throw some light on the Juncos Hollinger engineering team please?
Oliver Wells
MP: Yves Touron is the technical director. Steve Barker is Callum Ilott’s race engineer, and after doing the first eight races with Agustin Canapino, Charlie Ping was released and the team brought in veteran race engineer Mike Colliver to run his car at Mid-Ohio. Juncos Hollinger Racing also released Ilott’s performance engineer, who was replaced by Canapino’s systems engineer last weekend.
Ping has a solid reputation as a talented race engineer, albeit one without extensive or long-term IndyCar experience. Touron is as sharp a guy as you’ll find and with Colliver and Barker now working together, the team’s senior engineering group is stronger.
The next step for JHR is to stack more talent beneath and behind that group and to make major investments in its off-track engineering efforts. The Penskes and Ganassis and Andrettis and McLarens and Rahals of IndyCar have deep departments that run non-stop simulations and R&D projects — seemingly 24 hours a day — and it’s here where a newer team like JHR gets hit by a tidal wave after the first few races of the year are completed and all of their best ideas from the offseason have been used.
Q: My question is regarding Santino Ferrucci. I know that he had some troubles in Europe that I think can be attributed to immaturity. He has been fast in IndyCar and has done more with less at the 500 better than anyone in recent memory. He’s been bouncing around, and you’ve said his name doesn’t come up for better rides and that he’s about right for Foyt. You were also pointedly critical of his driving during practice for the 500. So, what is going on here? Is he just not liked or respected in the paddock? Is the problem his personality, his performance on track or something else?
Gary, Pittsburgh
MP: Not sure I’d use immaturity as a blanket excuse to absolve him of everything, but I’ve seen him come a long way as a young man since those days. Driving for Foyt this year has been good for him — humbling and softening in some ways as well — and I’d like to think he’s viewed as less of a bombastic outsider than he was the last a full-timer in the series. At the same time, he’s never struck me as someone who’s searching for friendship and acceptance from the rest of the field, so invitations to drink brown liquor with Hinch and Rossi or being the newest Bus Bro and hanging with McLaughlin and Newgarden aren’t necessarily the things that seem to motivate him.
As long as he avoids the aforementioned on-track behavior, I think his respect grows. And if he can stick with Foyt for another year — and why wouldn’t they keep him? — and continue to lead their turnaround, he might be on a few shopping lists for 2025.
It’s been a ride, but Ferrucci’ stock is rising. Jake Galstad/Motorsport
Q: I have never needed hearing protection at IndyCar races. While at Road America, I noticed that the lower-level cars were much louder than Indy cars. Any idea why that is? I don’t think any mufflers are being used. Maybe Indy cars are just finer-tuned?
Craig
MP: That’s the difference between turbocharged IndyCar engines and mostly non-turbo junior open-wheel cars. It’s a straight shot from the exhaust ports on those naturally-aspirated USF Championship by Cooper Tires cars, and minus the turbos, there’s no muffling effect. The Indy NXT by Firestone cars are turbocharged and also don’t assault the ears. The turbo CART cars of the late 1990s and early 2000s were extremely loud, and that was a byproduct of the sheer ferocity of those motors and the high revs.
Q: As a lifelong NASCAR fan that has gotten into IndyCar over the last couple of years, one big thing I’ve noticed is that NASCAR has something happen every year or two that captures the attention of the entire motorsports world (and at least part of the broader sports world) unrelated to the Daytona 500 or the championship, and I don’t see this in IndyCar. Whether it was Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” wall ride last year, or Supercar champ SVG just now winning the inaugural Chicago street race in his first attempt at a stock car, NASCAR seems to be able to create these moments that command everyone’s attention and draw new eyeballs to the series.
Is it possible for IndyCar to have a moment like that, and what would it potentially look like? Obviously, not referring to something like a Fernando Alonso or Kyle Larson winning the Indy 500.
Matt, Atlanta, GA
MP: The funny thing here is IndyCar was once the super fun and inventive series and NASCAR was the super restrictive series where old cars, technology, and limited imaginations made it feel like it was 20 years behind the times. Flash forward and the two series have completely flipped, with NASCAR coming across as new and fun and more modern than ever. F1’s also killing it with big new ideas and actions in the U.S.
IndyCar is more conservative than I’ve ever seen, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing if it was the No. 1 racing series in the country and had a winning formula to protect. But that’s not the case. Look at NASCAR and F1, and it’s nothing but outside-the-box thinking while IndyCar’s stuck inside the box. As much as I love the place, going back to Milwaukee isn’t going to move the needle or capture the country’s imagination; it’s just going to satisfy its existing fanbase, which is far too small.
We know the racing is the best you’ll find, and there are plenty of positives with 27 cars on the grid and so on, but you’re right. IndyCar needs to snap out of its olden ways and try a few things that aren’t predictable and safe.
Q: Alex Palou moves to McLaren next year. What are his chances of skipping Arrow McLaren and going straight to F1 with Lando Norris?
Michael Woodall
CHRIS MEDLAND: Honestly, as close to zero as you can get. I’m wary of saying something is impossible given some of the silly seasons we’ve had in F1, but Oscar Piastri is doing a really impressive job and McLaren is delighted with him. He really is an investment in the future but is already performing extremely close to Norris’ level, and Norris is still showing his quality with performance such as in Austria despite the car having been uncompetitive up to now. McLaren believes it has its driver lineup for the next few years as long as it can provide the car to keep them happy, and as incredible as Palou’s form is I don’t see it moving either of its young talents aside for him in 2024.
I’d say the most likely chance for Palou at McLaren would come if Norris left for a more competitive seat after 2024, because if the team was happy with Piastri’s performances and potential it could maintain continuity with him, and would have learned a little bit more about Palou at that point.
Palou might get a call from McLaren to race in F1 one day, but not for a seat in 2024. Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images
Q: I went to my first race at Nashville Superspeedway and I have to say I loved it! The facility was top-notch, the later start time kept us out of the heat (which honestly was the main reason I decided to go this year), and the racing itself was fantastic.
However, I can’t help but be frustrated that there is a big push inside the sport to replace Nashville Superspeedway with Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. I know the Fairgrounds has historic value and is inside Nashville proper, but compared to Nashville Superspeedway, the Fairgrounds is a dump. I went to the first SRX race there and afterwards I swore I’d never go back, it was that bad. My friend and I were even talking about this before the race yesterday and a lady sitting in front of us turned around and said, “Hey, I’ve been to the Fairgrounds, and I have to agree with you. That place is a wreck!”
In addition to the condition of the Fairgrounds, it’s also a much smaller facility. The Fairgrounds officially claims that it can seat 15k people (which I think is a stretch, and also includes no camping spaces), while Nashville Superspeedway lists its capacity at 38k. Why would NASCAR and SMI want to trade a track that sells out 38k seats plus camping for one that tops out at 15k seats and provides no camping (and reportedly urgently needs at least $40 million in renovations)? That’s like trading a new Target for an old Dollar General. Makes no sense.
With the sellout crowd and the good show that was put on this June, I can only hope that NASCAR and SMI will see the light and keep Nashville Superspeedway on the schedule for years to come.
Garrick, Huntsville, AL
KELLY CRANDALL: Nashville Superspeedway is fantastic and the folks there are great hosts. So, let me hopefully set you at ease, Garrick. There is no guarantee that if Nashville Fairgrounds gets a race that it would be at the expense of Nashville Superspeedway. Of course, having two races in that market seems unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
Marcus Smith was visiting with fans at the tweetup at Nashville and, when asked about the Fairgrounds, said, “we have options” regarding where the race date comes from, and we know how creative Smith can be. The Fairgrounds is for the nostalgic race fans, just like North Wilkesboro was. It’s about short tracks and NASCAR history. Yes, it’s going to take a lot of money to make happen, but so did North Wilkesboro. Yes, it doesn’t seat as many, but a smaller audience isn’t a bad thing — just as North Wilkesboro showed. I would say when it comes to the Fairgrounds, we need to wait and see what happens as there are still many things that need to happen before it gets a date.
Q: Can we please stop with the NASCAR safety talk? NASCAR ignored every bit of the Dale Earnhardt investigation and built solid cars. When drivers reported seemingly minor impacts giving them concussions, NASCAR told them they would get used to it. NASCAR also said that going to the single-lug wheels would prevent wheels from coming off. Not only has it not reduced the number, the number has increased. If NASCAR was serious it would do something about it, but it doesn’t.
I’m not a knee-jerk kind of guy but how about if a car leaves its pit spot with a loose wheel, the car is DQ’d? No points, no money, nothing. For a second offense in a year, the car and driver are suspended for two weeks and the driver is not eligible for the playoffs.
Harsh? Yes, but you can’t say this is for safety and do nothing.
Mike, Northern CA
KC: There is a lot to digest here, Mike. First off, those are harsh penalties and are not needed. NASCAR never said the single lug was to make the wheels come off, the single lug was necessary when it came to having a stronger wheel to go with Next Gen because the car is putting more load on the parts. It’s a simple operator error when a wheel is loose, and I’m not sure you can say the numbers are higher than with five lug nuts. Mistakes happen, and loose wheels happen. There were only 14 total wheel penalties in 2022 from 13 different teams. So, that’s 14 penalties from 38 races from 36 to 40 car fields with multiple pit stops a race. There have been five penalties through 18 races this season. There have actually been more penalties for modifications to the Next Gen car this year than for wheels.
As for safety, NASCAR never ignored anything after Dale Earnhardt’s death. That is completely inaccurate. Do you not see how many safety advancements came from that incident? The car alone has changed iterations multiple times. NASCAR also never said drivers would get used to harder hits — that’s laughable. Officials were continually working on the car after more and more data and feedback came in. It took time for those changes to be implemented, but they did happen. And NASCAR continues to do work when things happen — just look at the Ryan Preece/Kyle Larson crash from Talladega Superspeedway.
The FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, July 5, 2017
Q: My question why, in the year 2017, Indy cars don’t have the cameras and technology to detect cars in blind spots? I’m surprised that one of the high-tech autonomous car driving companies have not at least attempted to install that tech in a race car for testing and demo purposes to showcase perfect lap times and racing lines, etc. Maybe I’m dreaming, but I would love to see something like a Scott Dixon vs. a self driving race car match race just once.
Dave Pisula, Westerville, OH
ROBIN MILLER: God, we have paddle shifting, push-to-pass, pit speed limiters and spotters so I’m hopeful we can at least keep awareness as part of a driver’s acumen. Sure it’s tough to see on some (all) ovals but a racer worth his salt should always have a pretty good feel for where his competitors are on the track. A match race like you suggest could be interesting and a nice little feature for television.
