Q: It shouldn’t be any surprise that Roger Penske is not fan-friendly. In 1990 I went to Indy for a few days during the first weekend of qualifying. We bought passes to the garage area. Every team (and there were a lot of them then) had their doors open with a rope in front, except Penske. His doors were always closed, and we never saw any of his drivers.
I remember watching the Patrick Alfa Romeo team working on a car when one of the guys lifted the rope and said to come in. Roberto Guerrero was there and acknowledged me. It’s things like this that is meaningful to fans, and keeps them as fans — something Roger Penske doesn’t seem to get.
Jim, Ontario, Canada
MP: The team has become warmer since this experience, Jim. I, too, recall how closed and unwelcoming they were in the era you reference. Today, many of its crew members, from the timing stands to pit lane, are among my favorite people in IndyCar.
Q: I have read reports that Honda is in talks to join NASCAR. What does this mean for IndyCar? What in the world is Roger Penske doing? Obviously the leadership is dropping the ball when it comes to manufacturers in the series. Clearly other series are more attractive than IndyCar.
David Tucker
MP: Yes, but that’s nothing new. What’s different is, for the first time since Honda joined the modern IndyCar Series — which it entered in 2003 when it was the Indy Racing League — it’s seriously considering whether it wants to continue after its contract is completed in 2026. It means IndyCar, if it wants to keep Honda, needs to work with Honda Racing Corporation US to address its concerns on costs and supply responsibilities to ensure HRC US stays.
Q: Great to see Nashville Superspeedway coming back as an IndyCar circuit. Hopefully it means for more Speedway Motorsports collaborations on more ovals! Will IndyCar be using the superspeedway aero setup on this track?
Justin
MP: That’s yet to be determined. Here’s the story we wrote last week about what’s to come.
Q: Why are so many IndyCar fans retirement age or older?
Kurt Perleberg
MP: An abundance of long-term fans without an ample replenishment of younger/newer fans. IndyCar was hugely popular in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and most of the 1990s. That produced a ton of new fans who’ve remained loyal followers. Its popularity fell off at a worrying rate when The Split and NASCAR’s rise occurred, and since then, as a distant second to NASCAR, the building of newer and younger fans hasn’t happened at the same rate.
Q: In last week’s Mailbag there was a great question from Glen of Renton, Wash., which you answered in great detail. Great question with a great answer. You left out some points of interest, though.
How much is the breaking effect of regeneration of the super-capacitor? How many Gs can it slow the car under full regeneration?
Doug Mayer
MP: The supercapacitor is the system’s battery, so it has no effect on braking and forces. It receives energy from and sends energy back to the motor generator unit, which is what connects with the transmission to harvest and slow or return and accelerate the car through rear tires.
I don’t yet know on the Gs.
Q: OK, if Mr. Penske has to have full-time participants in IndyCar get guaranteed spots in the 500, I’d suggest you have the fastest 33 cars qualify regardless of their IndyCar participation level. Then, if a full-schedule team is slower than those 33, just slot them into 34th, 35th or whatever spot after the fastest 33. Maybe with a one or two lap handicap.
I mean, it’s the exposure for sponsors and chance to win money that they’re after, so at least they’re in and should be penalized for not being the fastest 33! And I’d rather give up the 33-car tradition over the fastest 33 tradition.
Bill
MP: Here’s a dumb idea: When the first driver falls out of the Indy 500, the first driver who failed to qualify gets to enter the race, and so on, until all the DNQs get to play.
Or, maybe, we just do that crazy thing of only letting the teams who make it into a sport’s biggest event on merit go and take part in the race.
Q: How do you measure a racetrack? I’ve wondered about this for a long time, but I’ve never found the answer. Do they measure the middle, or a set distance from the wall? I would think it’s measured using the optimal racing line because that’s where cars would normally drive.
Palmer, Indianapolis, IN
MP: There’s no single answer, but in most instances, it’s the racing line.
Q: I realize I’m in the minority on this. I understand that most people don’t pay attention to qualifying. I get that teams and sponsors commit millions of dollars to a season and missing the biggest race of the year is a major blow. I can completely get the logic that changes to qualifying formats or who makes the show don’t change race day viewership or enthusiasm. I’ll even set aside Indy 500 history and the fact that it has always (except for that one time) been the fastest 33 teams that showed up. However…
As a fan, some of the most exciting, thrilling, nail-biting, and heart-breaking moments have come from qualifying or trying to make the show. Prior to charters, the Gatorade Duels to make the Daytona 500 were always the best races. I never missed them and would record them while I was at school to watch when I got home. They were so intense, and it was so fun watching a little team or an unknown driver race their heart out and make the show.
Qualifying for the 2011 Indy 500 is another moment. Seven teams didn’t make the race, including two Andretti cars. It was excellent stuff. Kyle Kaiser making the show and bumping Fernando Alonso in 2019… an incredible moment that still gets talked about. Graham Rahal missing the race last year… what a storyline. From a marketing perspective, those moments of jubilation and tears are gold.
The air of desperation, the Hail Mary attempts, the crazy calls, the intense drives… those moments stand out as the best ones for me as a fan. When you take away those intense highs and lows from the equation, you really water down the product. With the Indy 500, if you’re going to lock in most of the field, you might as well axe the first week of practice, give them Wednesday and Thursday before race day to practice, turn Carb Day into qualifying day, and upend the whole thing.
Part of what makes Indy so special is the intensity that anyone could go home and perfection is required to make the show.
Ross Bynum
MP: Qualifying is one of the greatest parts of an IndyCar event. Period.