Q: Did “Brandon” end Kelli Stavast’s career at NBC? Did not see her this past season.
David, Waxhaw, NC
KELLY CRANDALL: Kelli Stavast wasn’t a part of the NBC Sports portion of the NASCAR season. She is also not listed in the section of the NBC Sports website where they have their talent bios. Stavast has been quiet since the Talladega Superspeedway race in the fall of 2021, and it’s really unfortunate. I’ve always thought she was great at covering the sport and it was a crap situation that unfolded in the post-race interview.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, December 3, 2013
Q: I’ve been an observer of your Mailbag for several years now and am normally fine with others asking the questions, but I feel compelled to write in about this issue, which is the quick rise of Formula E and whether IndyCar can learn/capitalize on it at all? It seems to me that IndyCar has missed a great opportunity here.
A few years back when IndyCar said they would be getting a new chassis and engines, the forums were abuzz with all the possibilities. I suggested on one blog that IndyCar needs to start embracing hybrid technology with their new cars. This would have solved several key problems for the series. 1) Bring new technology to the series that is capable of changing strategy race to race, thus bringing more interest and excitement. 2) Attract younger fans with new and more relevant technologies. 3) Attract new manufacturers and sponsors related to hybrid technology, as well as electronics in general. 4) Provide an identity for the series. IndyCar could surpass F1 as the leader in hybrid racing technology by making it a cornerstone of the series and simultaneously differentiate itself from NASCAR and its fan base and sponsors by emerging as the new, modern, and cooler racing series.
Now, all that means nothing without great racing, but assuming IndyCar can keep the great racing going, the problem would take care of itself. I realize that at the time IndyCar was (and still somewhat is) on life support, so an idea that radical probably wouldn’t fly at the time. But I say, if IndyCar has any sense of self-preservation left, it should take Formula E seriously and watch it closely. Even if it falls flat on its face, IndyCar could still learn about new sponsors interested in promoting their technology through racing. But if Formula E does reasonably well, the series may be onto something. IndyCar can’t afford to lose the old school fans to NASCAR and the emerging tech-savvy younger generation fans to Formula E.
IndyCar needs to do something radical and soon, or else not even the 500 can save the series. Mark Miles is making changes, but these changes only vie for existing fans, instead of creating new ones. The average American doesn’t care about a racing series playing second fiddle to NASCAR and F1. I realize that if teams resist new aero packages they will absolutely hate hybrid technology. But if the money is there for sponsorships from major car manufacturers looking to showcase their hybrid technology, they will change their tune. Start small by incorporating some form of KERS one year, electric motors the next, etc.
Hybrid technology isn’t going away and as much as we racers hate it we can no longer afford to ignore it. The last thing I’d want to see is a bunch of cars that sound like overgrown mosquitoes zipping around. At least by making it hybrid technology we could keep those old internal combustion beasts and their glorious exhaust notes.
IndyCar has a real chance here to remake its image as the racing series of the 21st century by incorporating hybrid technology. Every major car manufacturer has hybrid technology. IndyCar has the advantages of being an established racing series rich in tradition and history as well having one of the largest races in the world that reaches millions of potential customers in the world’s No. 1 car market. This idea seems so obvious to me I’m amazed no execs at IndyCar have pursued it.
Obviously great racing isn’t bringing back the fans like it should, so something else needs to be done and done soon before IndyCar becomes completely irrelevant not just in pop culture, but in racing as well. A shortened season and a road race that cannibalizes the 500 won’t do it. But incorporating hybrid technology into IndyCar could.
Eric Mauser, DGRC Project Scientist, Indiana University
ROBIN MILLER: My friend, the very talented TV and movie producer Adam Friedman, has a good idea about how to incorporate all this hybrid technology into the month of May. I won’t share his idea yet but there is a place for it and someday it could be part of the Indy 500. You make some very good points and I don’t pretend to know much about any kind of technology but it’s obviously got some momentum with Formula E and IndyCar needs to embrace and encourage new manufacturers and ideas because, as you stated, good racing isn’t making any difference.