Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. 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.
Q: In 1996, Penske said in reference to the 25/8 IRL rule, “at the end of the day, we want to go on a level playing field.” Meaning he felt the fastest cars should be in the field. Fast-forward to today, and Penske wanted to guarantee teams into races. So he only likes the rule when it works to his advantage?
Nothing in racing is guaranteed, nor should it. The word “qualifying” means to see if you qualify for the race. If you are not fast enough, then you are not qualified for that race! Plain and simple. As a kart racer who battles against factory teams, I understand this is a factor. However I get extreme joy in overcoming their advantage, and have so far been on the podium three times this year alone. Nothing in racing should be guaranteed. If you’re not good enough, then you get to watch everyone else race. That’s racing.
Tom Harleman, Carmel, IN
MARSHALL PRUETT: It’s a strange fear to be driven by, isn’t it? In the 50-plus years Penske’s turned up to try and qualify for the 500, he’s failed once that I can recall. I’ll take those odds all day long. But what if you could improve those odds to the point of where it was impossible to fail?
I’d understand if the biggest teams were bumped from Indy on a regular basis; that would be a justifiable reason to be driven by fear and wanting to be protected from failure. But when it almost never happens? It makes no sense. I hope this misplaced fear doesn’t lead to an epically stupid decision to guarantee entries at Indy, or any other race, but I have no faith that the right decision will be made.
Q: Dear Sirs,
Your “Thermal Club $1,000,000 (-500,000) Challenge Creative Director” job sounds interesting. I would like to apply.
I am prepared to travel and have long experience with a number of prominent circuses and deserts.
I drive the clown car, and in that role marshal the other clowns (fit them in, basically), am tasked with the group distracting fans pre-show with as much makeup, tinsel and horn-blowing razzle-dazzle as 20 clowns can muster, and of course, I am charged with keeping a keen eye on tire-management of the clown car.
My wife’s second cousin’s sister-in-law’s is the hairdresser who looks after Roger Penske’s wife.
What is the salary range and expectations and is a (spec) clown car for personal use provided?
Your Sincerely,
Chuckles Valvolive-Jones, Fantasyland, FL
MP: The salary is amazing, but after telling you what it is, it will be cut in half. Also, I’m hoping Thermal becomes the Mailbag’s new “Cleveland” where submissions on the topic come in on a weekly basis. OK, actually I don’t. Forget I said that. Moving on…
Q: Any word on what the Nashville race distance will be? When they first announced that it was moved to the Nashville Superspeedway, the IndyCar schedule said that it would be 200 laps, but that’s since been taken down.
Aeren Maxfield, Westminster, CA
MP: I’m told 200-225 laps is what’s being considered.
Q: I read your story on the latest iteration of IndyCar’s proposed charter system, and have two questions.
What is Kyle Kaiser doing now? And will the possibility of Roger Penske re-introducing the nebulous 25/8 rule prevent one-off teams and new entrants from doing what Kaiser and Juncos Racing did in 2019, when they bumped one of motor racing’s biggest stars from qualifying for the Indianapolis 500?
Tom Harader, Florence, OR
MP: I saw Kyle at St. Petersburg but didn’t get a chance to do more than say hello in passing. He’s working as a financial analyst.
Yes, re-introducing the 25/8 rule could have a negative effect on part-time/one-off/non-charter entries from taking a chance on making the Indy 500. Especially when those teams with the 25 protected entries are likely to pad the entry list with additional cars. It’s one thing for a one-off from Juncos for Kaiser to knock off a one-off from McLaren for Alonso to snatch the 33rd and final spot. It’s another when, regardless of charters, the Indy entry list could start at 29 full-time cars with PREMA factored in.
That leaves four cars to get to 33, and between Foyt, Arrow McLaren, Andretti, Carpenter, Meyer Shank, and Rahal, we could easily reach 34-35 cars from IndyCar’s mainstays. In theory, we could have bumping among the season-long teams at IndyCar, and if Dreyer & Reinbold show up, that’s two more veteran cars.
One of the greatest Indy 500 storylines has been when new and small teams decide to take on the establishment and try to make the show. I hope the direction taken with the charter program doesn’t kill the spirit for those small and new teams to continue trying.
Q: I recently read that USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 both competed at NOLA. When is IndyCar going to swallow its pride and ask for a race date? This big gap in the schedule is a big joke.
Yes, the first NOLA was a big failure, but that was a long time ago, and IndyCar is a different series now. And NOLA would be a nice stop on the way to Long Beach.
AE Danville, IN
MP: Not sure about the swallowing of pride; it was a **** show, put on by Andretti’s former promotions business. If a new promoter had the gumption to try and host another IndyCar race at NOLA, I’m sure IndyCar would be open to hear their thoughts, but putting in the effort to try and do it on their own…doesn’t sound like something IndyCar would do.
Q: I’ve got some more questions after your latest story about the IndyCar ERS.
Pietro Fittipaldi said that the energy storage system capacity could be about 150 kJ (kilojoules). By way of comparison, an F1 car battery capacity is 4MJ (Megajoules), hence about 26 times more that of an IndyCar. Is the reason for this small capacity simply because everything had to fit into the bellhousing, which could only offer a small amount of space? And/or because the electric motor is taking most of this space?
Let’s assume IndyCar keeps the ESS capacity the same next year, while simultaneously allowing the ERS to deliver up to the promised 150hp. Let’s do some simple math: 150hp is 112kW (kilowatts) and 150 kJ is 150kWs (kilowatt-seconds), so 150kWs divided by 112kW makes 1,34 seconds, which would be the amount of time drivers would be able to use the ERS at full capacity. If so, and if this ERS is supposed to eventually replace the turbo-based P2P, then this isn’t really enough time to complete a passing maneuver, is it?
Does it really make sense to only be able to use a power boost for such a short period? Wouldn’t it be better to have less peak power, but be able to use it for longer? Unless IndyCar also plans to increase the ESS capacity, but if the bellhousing inner volume is the limit, how are they going to do this?
Lastly, do we now have a more specific number for the ERS total weight and maybe the individual weights of the ESS and the motor? In the videos you made last year with Jay Frye, David Salters (from HPD) and Mark Stielow (from GM), it was said that Honda and Chevy managed to bring the weight down to 60 lbs. However, I think you recently mentioned it would be more around 100 lbs. Did I miss something? Or did they have to bring that weight back up for some reason?
Xavier
MP: Lots of great questions that I’m struggling to get exact answer for while testing is going on. A recent estimation I received suggests the complete ERS package adds 100-130 pounds to the car. “Estimate” is the operative word. I keep hearing 60hp is where the ERS boost will start in 2024 and could move towards 100hp in 2025. “Could” is the word to gravitate towards…
Yes, the tiny space available in the bellhousing is the limiting factor. ERS is being used as a torque-fill device off the corners and wherever else some added punch is needed. P2P will be active in the races, so when combined, a driver could have just over 100hp to use for passing or defending a pass.