Q: Are IndyCar’s Canadian races considered “international”? Even if they take place in the English-speaking part of the country, such as the Toronto Grand Prix?
What do you think are the odds that a second one could be added on the schedule in the near future? If it were happening, which venues do you think are the most likely to be chosen: Mosport, Mont Tremblant, Montreal, Edmonton, or Vancouver? And which of these would be your personal favorite?
Lastly, you previously mentioned that Mosport would need some major safety upgrades if it were to host an IndyCar race. What kind of upgrades are you thinking about, exactly? Is it all just about runoff areas, barriers and catching fences, or do you have something more specific in mind?
Xavier
MP: I do chuckle at the notion that crossing a southern or northern border is presented as international. Granted, with how things are today, passports or visas are required for such things. I barely got into Vancouver for the 1999 CART race when I worked for Hogan Racing because I forgot both and had to do a lot of begging and pleading, all while our team manager was waiting impatiently on the other side of the border control exit.
I’ve heard about desires to race twice in Canada, but nothing that leads me to think there’s something imminent or actionable. Mont Tremblant is a thrill ride. Give me that road course with today’s cars and it would be wild.
IndyCar would want the hills pushed back 50-100 feet, at least, and all manner of SAFER barriers. As I wrote, I wouldn’t want to see the glory of Mosport lost just to welcome one series.
Q: I’ve noticed in practice the teams don’t fuel the car like they do in a race. They use the buckeye on the track side of the car instead on the wall side. Can you explain why?
Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, CA
MP: Teams are constantly doing two things in each session prior to the race: Checking fuel mileage/consumption and making runs with specific amounts of fuel in the car’s tank. The best way to do that is by accurately measuring how much fuel goes into the tank, and that’s accomplished by using the quick-disconnect fixtures on that opposite buckeye port and sending fuel into the tank through a hose with a fuel-flow meter that works just like the one on the display at a local gas station. Only difference here is the flow meter is on the hose right next to where it goes into the tank so the team’s refueler can hit the exact amount called for by the race engineer.
The team will also pump the tank out after the session to reconcile how much fuel the data says should be in the bladder versus how much emerges. There’s almost always a tiny discrepancy there, and once you’ve pumped out a few times during an event, you’ll have a solid correction factor to plug into the software so the number coming across telemetry on how much fuel is left during a stint is accurate. And based on what the run plan is for the session, an engineer might ask for a light fuel load of X total gallons in the tank if they’re doing a qualifying simulation, or a half-tank or more if they’re working on race setups. That silly little digital meter is the key to giving the engineer what they want.
Q: I think we can all agree Christian Lundgaard put on a show last weekend in Toronto. Just dominant. Has there been any chatter post-race about his ability to go fast and make fuel? He had the same deck of cards as Power and many others, yet he drove away from the field. I watch lap times in the IndyCar app. I also distinctly remember when they did go in-car on him on the last stint as he came to end of back stretch; a lift and big coast. So he was definitely saving fuel, but oh so fast. It was, dare I say, Dixon-esque.
Also, how firm is his contract extension with RLL? Lots of articles about 2023 and beyond, but as is typical, no specificity. I can see him vaulting to the top of the list of a lot of teams in the paddock.
Lastly, while his wing held on by a wing and a prayer, Palou once again demonstrated how he is really the class of the field now. Tough race and starting deep… still came home a comfortable second.
Jeff Smith, State College, PA
MP: Lundgaard was indeed impressive in his ability to make speed and conserve fuel. But I wouldn’t put too much of an emphasis on this since the drivers he was chasing in Alex Palou and right behind him in Colton Herta stopped five laps earlier and had to do extreme fuel saving to make it to the finish.
That shouldn’t diminish what Christian did — Will Power and Marcus Ericsson stopped on the same lap as him and both came up one lap short and had to kill their races by pitting for splashes of fuel — because he made great speed and mileage they did not. But he also had Palou and Herta in positions where they couldn’t push as hard without ending up like Power and Ericsson.
As I’ve understood for a good while and written accordingly, he has another year on his RLL deal, and if I’m RLL, I’m making a long extension offer ASAP — if they haven’t already — because the kid is exactly what the championship contenders want to drive their cars.
I can’t think of a total race performance from Palou like what he did in Toronto. He really has become the best driver in IndyCar in his 3.5 seasons.
Q: Did they have a chance to test the new rain rails/guides(?) in Toronto and did they work? Also, how’s your wife? Semper Fi!
Terry, Lexington, KY
MP: They did and I didn’t hear any complaints about them, so that’s encouraging. She’s continuing to make great strides; we “celebrated” on Saturday, which marked four years since she underwent a six-hour surgery to deal with the major damage cancer did to her back. We spent a good while talking about all of the crazy things she/we dealt with, the recovery, the huge mobility hurdles, and everything that’s followed. We aren’t out of the woods yet, but my Marine is living proof that miracles exist. Thank you for asking, Terry.