Q: As a follow-up to the article last month regarding the next-generation IndyCar, I think too much is being made of the chassis as being the reason the series business is stagnant. I would note that dirt sprint cars haven’t changed that much during my entire lifetime other than placing a gaudy wing on top of the driver. That doesn’t appear to have hurt their business.
I believe the current IndyCar chassis is generally the best-looking car since CART. IndyCar really took a step backward when the IRL went to the G-Force, which looked like a naturally-aspirated CART car that took a year off from visiting the health club (and sounded like passing gas).
Then there was a period between 2012 and 2018 when the cars looked like oversized kiddie go-karts, and some of the street course configurations with the myriad small wings looked like insects.
Whatever the next IndyCar chassis turns out to be, it is my sincere hope that it is still an open-wheel series. Please, no big fenders!
James Herbert Harrison, Overland Park, KS
MP: Sprint cars, while awesome, are super niche, so we can’t compare them to the second most popular form of domestic racing series in the U.S., which boasts the world’s largest single day sporting event. Good news is, the next car won’t have fenders.
Q: With the buyout of Schmidt & Peterson complete, I am curious if this was always the plan when McLaren joined their team. Or was buying out their remaining ownership stake more strong-arming as opposed to a mutual desired transaction?
Matt Dallas, TX
MP: Could be wrong, but I’ve always been under the impression that this is where it was headed; McLaren isn’t the type of company to own a portion of a team for years on end. I’d heard it bought the entire team back in 2021, but it was positioned as a three-quarters buy to give them an easier transitional runway with longtime sponsors/partners who were there as a result of Sam and/or Ric.
Q: In the spirit of Robin Miller, I am giving you $100 in chips to bet. What drivers who are not in IndyCar yet would you place money on to win the Indy 500? How much of your $100 would you bet on them? Just curious about who the names are for us to watch for.
Mark, Cincinnati
MP: Kyle Larson isn’t in IndyCar, except for one race in May, so he’s my first choice and all $100 would be on him. Lots of potential in Indy NXT, but none of the 2025 class have done anything to demonstrate that they’re the next Colton/Pato/Kirkwood. I hope that changes, of course.
If I had to go into uncharted territory, I’d say Ross Chastain, because he’s working with epic car control skills, and teenage sports car/stock car phenom Conor Zilisch, who looks like he’s 10 years old, but drives with the kind of speed and maturity that makes champions.
Q: Will Ferrari-backed IMSA GTD class team Risi Competizione lure Ferrari factory driver Lewis Hamilton for 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona, joining the likes of Alessandro Pier Guidi etc?
Therius Oktavio
MP: Ferrari has a factory Le Mans Hypercar program that’s won Le Mans the last two years. If Lewis is going to make his sports car racing debut, I’d aim towards Le Mans in the top class.
Q: To cure my racing jones this offseason, I found myself watching bits of some 2002 American Le Mans Series races, which included a race at Trois Rivieres. It looks like a short course but challenging, with the bumps that you would see at most street circuits.
It got me thinking about what would be a suitable second Canadian track for IMSA. Perhaps the Trois Rivieres circuit, if the NASCAR Canada Series is willing to share? But I would like to see the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. It would be cool to see the speed of the GTP cars going down the straight after the hairpin.
Has either IMSA or IndyCar considered adding a second Canadian venue to their schedules? Assuming scheduling, promotion and logistics are good, what Canadian track would you like to see on a future IMSA or IndyCar schedule?
Brandon Karsten
MP: Mont-Tremblant. All day, every day.
Q: Any chance that Schmidt Peterson partners with Dale Coyne Racing? I would love to see them remain in IndyCar!
Tim, Germantown, TN
MP: Anything is possible.
Q: The FBI investigation of Rahal’s team for alleged theft of data from Andretti Global was a big story several months ago.
I recall it involved an employee who left AG and went over to Rahal. There was speculation it had something to do with Michael Andretti basically leaving his namesake company.
The story then faded to obscurity, with little or no mention of it since. The story spurred conjecture that a bitter feud was created between Michael and Bobby, which as a purist, I would hate to see exist. What has ever happened there?
James Herbert Harrison, Overland Park, KS
MP: I’ve never known Bobby and Michael to be close, so I wouldn’t put this ordeal down as something that unwound a deep friendship. Neither side is talking to the media due to this being an active FBI investigation, so there’s no clarity to offer.
Q: Whoever it is at RACER that keeps coming up with the Jarno Trulli pictures… please take a bow. The latest ‘Jarno Trulli looking at a boat’ is the best yet!
Ed Kelly
MARK GLENDENNING: I’m honestly amazed that I’m still finding new ones. Jarno ended up in a lot of weird photos for some reason.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, January 8, 2014
Q: We lost Indy car racing’s greatest promoter with Andy Granatelli’s passing. My favorite Granatelli memory was a weekday practice afternoon in the early ’70s when Andy had the pilot of his Lear Jet fly at 200 feet altitude down the length of the main straightaway buzzing the track to announce to Indy that Andy Granatelli was here! There was no doubt it was Andy as the Lear Jet had the world’s largest STP sticker on the underside of the wings and fuselage!
David Sutton
ROBIN MILLER: Yeah, it’s a shame USAC wasn’t smart enough to embrace Andy instead of trying to run him off or Indy car racing would still be light years ahead of NASCAR today. Long before it was fashionable, he understood the power of public relations and promotion.