Q: Last week’s IndyCar race was moved from USA Network to CNBC because of the overly long NASCAR race. Then, the IndyCar race was moved back to USA Network. This has me thinking. If FOX is showing a NASCAR race that runs over the allotted time period, what happens to the IndyCar race should it be following the NASCAR race? Or, are IndyCar races going to have to start before the NASCAR race should the two races be on the same day?
Jerry, Houston
MP: Be sure to memorize the channel numbers for FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Business.
Q: Your answer to Joey from Florida last week seemed off-putting to me as a flag marshal.
Race control does have eyes at blind corners — typically a communicator is around the corner with a Light Panel controller (the eyes). The Light Panel and the flag marshal with cloth flags are prior to the corner to provide driver information.
The push of the Yellow Flag button on the Light Panel is the first and immediate notice to race control that there is a situation.
Kevin Young, Ohio
MP: Please accept my apology.
Q: First, I read your update on the McLaren-Palou lawsuit. That sure sounds bleak for Palou. (I believe you said the McLaren plan is to let it drag out as long as possible, which could leave Palou in financial ruin.) Could it be that McLaren is doing that in order to force Palou to drive for them eventually? Kind of a “if you don’t drive for us, we’re going to ruin you financially” kind of deal?
Second, there is so much fan opinion that Penske is cheating or favoring his drivers with the officiating. It makes me wonder, would bringing in a neutral officiating crew ever happen? My gut says R.P. is way too stubborn and stuck in his ways to do that, but it sure would help with transparency.
Randy, Milwaukee, WI
MP: Since that update, I’ve heard McLaren lost on a couple of items being contested in the Palou case. Not sure what the items are, though. Lawsuit aside, Alex is signed to Ganassi for a good while, so I can’t think of a legal route that McLaren would employ to void a Ganassi contract to get Alex, or that Alex could void to drive for McLaren.
Based on Roger’s heated response to my push-to-pass cheating question of why an independent investigation team wasn’t used, I’d think the proposal of a non-Penske-controlled officiating team would have me waking up to find a horse’s head in my bed.
Q: I write in response to Patrick Reilly’s letter last week regarding what the 499 stands for in the Ferrari 499P. Going back to the first ever Ferrari, the 125S, the type number has been based on the cubic centimeters per cylinder. In the 499P’s case, 2,996cc divided by six cylinders. There have been some deviations, though. For example, the Ferrari 512 was named for it being a 5 liter V12. The F355 road car was named for it being a 3.5 liter with five valves per cylinder.
Enzo did bend the naming rules sometimes, though. In 1963 he converted the 250 P prototype into a Berlinetta in an attempt to replace the 250 GTO in the GT category. Not wanting to have to homologate it, he called it a 250 LM, claiming it was merely an evolution of the already homologated 250 GTO. This was despite the LM being mid-engined and the GTO front-engined. This was also despite the engine size being bigger on the 250 LM, meaning it should actually have been called a 275 LM. Enzo didn’t get his way and the LM had to race in the prototype class.
Gareth Holt, London, UK
MP: History lessons! Thanks, Gareth!
Q: My question has to do with making IndyCar more visible to fans. Why doesn’t IndyCar advertise on the top five or 10 local radio stations ahead of each race saying how to watch and start times? You could reach more viewers per race in the venues where races are located rather than making them surf the net for race dates, times and stations.
John Brinkley
MP: It’s a great question. As I understand, local radio is still among the most popular forms of media.
Q: I’m not a lawyer nor European; so I don’t quite understand how a Swiss court can direct Dutch authorities to seize the assets of an American company at the request of a blacklisted Russian corporation?
Laz, SLC
CHRIS MEDLAND: I can only claim to be European, Laz, but not a lawyer either! What I was told over the weekend is that the Swiss tribunal’s ruling that Haas had to return the money given to it could theoretically have been enforced in many places, but that Europe was the most efficient at this point given EU and Schengen collaborations, and Dutch courts recognized the ruling.
According to the International Bar Association, a Swiss tribunal is regularly used for international disputes due to its neutrality, its secure and predictable legal framework, access to both Swiss and foreign arbitrators, and a developed infrastructure.
As I understand it, while some assets were frozen, it’s also not Uralchem (the group Uralkali is part of) that is blacklisted, but Dmitry Mazepin who is. He resigned from the company, but does retain a shareholding. So commercial transactions with Uralchem do still take place globally, and while sanctions ensure it’s not easy to make payments when required, they are still possible.
Q: I’m apparently in the minority, but I didn’t really see anything all that wrong with Dillon’s action at Richmond. Over the top? Sure, but not too far outside what’s been done before. Then Phelps states, just days before Daytona where it’s all about “the big one,” “We’re not demolition derby.” I write this the Thursday before, so yet to know how the weekend goes; but I’ve been to the last three Coke Zero 400s and have personally witnessed tens of millions of dollars in damage. Way more than any local dirt track demolition derby. Again, I’m sure I’m wrong, I usually am; but that dog don’t hunt.
Bernardo, TX
KELLY CRANDALL: As NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer explained, the totality of what Austin Dillon did across both incidents is what crossed the line. If he had just spun Joey Logano, there likely wouldn’t have been anything that came from it. Logano, and others, would have complained and called it dirty, which would have been hard to deny because Dillon had no intention of making the corner, but as you said, it wasn’t too far outside things we’ve seen before. However, hooking someone cannot be accepted. So, both of those incidents together were a bad look. As for the demolition derby comment, it certainly was ironically timed with how superspeedway races play out. But a demolition derby is about intentionally crashing cars, right? So, that’s how Phelps referenced Richmond. Whereas Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta, you’re not actually out there trying to crash and destroy things, but yes, that is what happens at those races.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, August 29, 2019
Q: I swear, you just can’t make the new breed of IndyCar fans happy. “Ovals are too boring,” they scream. “Ovals are too exciting and dangerous,” they scream. “Bring back the CART days,” they scream. “Bring back pack racing,” they scream. The new breed fans are idiots, they wouldn’t know great racing from a loaf of bread — all you have to do is read the social media comments after the Robert Wickens incident to know this is true. Rossi (who I’ll confess I’ve come to respect after rejecting his aloofness) and Newgarden are the new Mears, Unsers, Sullivans, et al, of the series. They’ll dominate the series for years. Pocono’s race showed Rossi for the force he is.
How can anyone call dominance boring? It’s what every racing driver strives for: winning and crushing their opponents whenever and wherever possible. Thoughts?
Jake, Pasadena, CA
ROBIN MILLER: This is the 50th year I’ve covered IndyCar racing, and I’ve seen A.J., Mario, Uncle Bobby, Big Al, J.R., Gordy, Sneva, Mikey and Mears decimate fields on ovals, street and road courses, and never recall anyone complaining. It was accepted back then that somebody was going to hit the combination and kick everyone’s ass. When it didn’t happen, like the finish in 1982, we were thrilled beyond belief, and I stayed at the Speedway until midnight that night and watched the re-air because it was such a fantastic finish and such a rarity.
Obviously, with spec cars and very even engines and everyone on the same tire, the racing today should be close and competitive, and it usually is, but it can still be a good show if somebody dominates and there’s a dogfight for third through sixth.