Q: Will we see any 237mph laps at Indy this year?
Jon, Ann Arbor, MI
MP: Based on the surprising leap in speed last year, I’ve been expecting 237s and hoping for some 238s.
Q Where are things at with RC Enerson’s entry to the Indy 500? Let’s hope it’s good news. Are there other possibilities? Having a list of 35-36 cars would be great.
Edward, Italy
MP: I’d heard a formal announcement was imminent last week, and the week before, Edward. They have an engine at their disposal from Chevy, so if they don’t show up for the Open Test tomorrow and Friday, there’s no need to turn up in May because it will be a lost cause in going up against 33 Indy 500 veteran entries.
Q: This point has been made in previous Mailbags, but as a UK-based IndyCar fan I wanted to add my perspective.
I have been very fortunate to attend several IndyCar races at TMS over the last few years. As an F1 fan from the late 1960s, the thing I have missed most of all (with F1) is fan access to the garage and pit areas, which is now largely restricted to celebrities and team/sponsor guests unless you have very deep pockets and can afford Paddock Club access.
I attended my first IndyCar race at Phoenix in 1993, and subsequently visited Long Beach, Michigan, Fontana, Indianapolis, and over the last 10 years Texas. I have to say the highlight for me was the ability to get close to the action with fantastic fan access to meet drivers, watch car preparation, and enjoy practice/qualifying from the pit area. I even chose to visit TMS rather than attend the British Grand Prix when both events were on the same weekend in June.
I was therefore extremely disappointed to see that TMS was only offering Garage Passes for two hours on race day morning — at a cost of $75!
Sadly, I may have seen my last live IndyCar race, at least at TMS. Increased flight costs, a reduced two-day weekend, and little or no garage/pit access now makes it impossible to justify the cost of the trip to TMS from the UK.
I was considering a last-minute trip to this year’s race but the news about limited garage access was definitely a deal breaker. Thankfully we have excellent live IndyCar TV coverage on Sky TV in the UK, and I really enjoyed this year’s race from the comfort of my chair with a couple of cold beers.
Richard, West Yorkshire, UK
MP: Thanks for the insights, Richard. Racing fans will dig deep and spend big to see the sport they love, but once you get the feeling that you’re being taken advantage of by a series or circuit — when the price gouging is evident — the reactions are swift and hard. As they should be. TMS was wrong on garage passes, no doubt. Needs to be fixed for next year.
Q: I was a bit perplexed when I read the following statement concerning Isotta Faschini’s grim outlook for Monza: “While the team has been targeting the FIA WEC round at Monza following Le Mans for the car’s race debut, RACER understands that the team has been informed by the series that the pit allocation is already at capacity for that race.”
Monza’s active “pit stop area” of the pit lane is only 20-30 meters shorter than Le Mans, yet Le Mans will support 62 entries this year. At Sebring, the WEC teams made use of the “hop over the wall” temporary pit lane with no major race-affecting issues. Can you explain why Monza struggles to field 40 WEC entries due to pit allocation? Is this just a case of the ACO not thinking outside the box? Do the mechanics not want to push the cars backwards after the stop like at Le Mans? Do we need to show them how IndyCar will shoe-horn 27 entries into pit lane at Toronto?
Kyle
MP: RACER’s Graham Goodwin — my Week In Sports Cars podcast co-host, as well — was kind enough to field this WEC-specific item for you:
“Let’s start with the level at which the Isotta Fraschini is currently at in its development: last week’s test was a rollout. By any measure a car as complex as this with a bespoke hybrid system will require very significant test and development time (the car is currently back in the wind tunnel and after that has significant 4WD dyno time booked) that means the time to its next track test is measured in weeks and not days – a process designed to ensure that the car is as good as it reasonably can be at the point of homologation. After that, development is significantly restricted.
“The team has known for some time that Monza was very unlikely. My impression is that whilst the narrative is one of disappointment, the reality is a significant release of pressure on a program that is more important to get right than to go early.
“As for comparisons with Le Mans, anyone that has been part of that race for any time would tell you that it’s a pretty poor comparison with any other top class sports car venue — pit garages, and therefore space in front of a team’s pit, is pitifully small. Plans to update the Le Mans pit complex fell victim to the COVID period and have not (yet) been revived.
“Outside of Le Mans WEC races usually allocate pit garages to the ACO Scrutineers (two or three) and another to the safety cars. Add in a sensible additional space for each car in their working area and the available space is pretty rapidly gobbled up.
“Again, take a look at any recent major race at Monza: WEC, ELMS (where we have more than the WEC’s 38) and GT World Challenge (where they have more still) and I think you can rapidly come to the conclusion that safety and practicality are closer to the real issue than capacity.”
Q: Do IndyCar teams have spare speedway oval chassis at their shops, waiting for teams to use upon their return from Long Beach? Or will teams hastily convert their DW12s chassis from temporary street circuit guise into an oval car for the IMS Open Test, and then convert them back again for road course duty at Barber?
Tom Harader, Florence, OR
MP: Most of the big teams have dedicated Speedway cars that are perfected for IMS, but there are some teams that use the same chassis for every race and keep their crews busy with changes from road/street configuration to Speedway and/or short oval specs and back. With a full crew, a change from Long Beach to Indy Open Test specifications can be done in about 10 hours. For some teams which have a smaller full-time crew and rely on fly-in staff to complete the crew at the races, it could take 14-16 hours.