Q: At what point will IndyCar take action against Agustin Canapino and/or Juncos Hollinger Racing for the online threats against other drivers by his fans? This is at least the third time it has happened, and team statements ring pretty hollow considering they took Canapino’s side and released Illot after the threats were directed at him last year.
Josh, Flo-Town, KY
MP: Since sports are built upon rules, what rule or rules would IndyCar use to take action against a driver and team for the actions, not by the driver or team, but by fans?
And if there was a rule that penalized teams and drivers for fan behavior on social media, every team would invest in bots to send the nastiest messages possible – posing as fans of each driver – to their rivals so IndyCar would have to act and penalize them.
Q: Holy cow, I just got an alert that Parnelli has gone to the big racetrack in the sky. I started to read the news, but I had to stop. I’ll try again tomorrow. No more Big Eagle, no more Rufus. Down to two of the icons of my childhood.
Rest in peace Rufus, and blessings to PJ, Paige and your family and legions of friends. You were an inspiration to me, and to my racing career (if career is an adequate term). Should the Indy powers that be deem it worthy, I will make the trip to 16th & Georgetown for the official salute you so richly deserve.
Big Bird, St Petersburg, FL
MP: One of the things I loved most about Parnelli was how he was received by so many like he was the first person to stand on the moon, like a human who was unlike any other before or after him, and how he felt so awkward being received that way. Some legends and heroes let you know they are legends and heroes — they act like a star — and that wasn’t Parnelli. But that also never changed the fact that we looked at him like a daredevil who could beat anybody in a car or in a fist fight. Those kinds of people are no longer made, which makes Parnelli’s death a tough one for those of us who will forever be in awe of all he was and all he accomplished.
As salute is mandatory. I also like the idea of IMS or the IMS Museum starting a statue program to place throughout the grounds. Getting to see those faces on the BorgWarner Trophy is an amazing thing, but since IMS is our Cooperstown, I’d love to see statues or pillars with busts of IndyCar’s greats erected around the property. I bet a lot of people would be interested in doing a walking tour to see each of the however many might be installed to read inscriptions of the person’s history and pose with the statue.
Q: The blue jackets for Indy 500 winners is a great new tradition. There were a few drivers missing – Danny Sullivan, Jacques Villeneuve, Tom Sneva, Juan Pablo Montoya… Any idea why these gentlemen were missing?
Zak, Hernando, MS
MP: I’d need to reach out to them to ask and while I’d welcome speaking to all of them — even JPM — we can just assume they had other things going on, or, in the case of JPM, the likely case of not giving a fart.
Q: The racing world lost an icon and a great man has gone to a better place. I thought the terms ‘speed’ and ‘Parnelli’ meant the same and were interchangeable. No-one ever did it better, and if you asked a question, you’d better be ready for a straight answer because that is what is coming.
I first saw this racer at The Little 500 in Anderson, IN on May 29, 1960 and even though he did not win that night, there was no doubt this fellow was very special and he never let us down. While I am very sad, this was my guy every time he put a helmet on and I was excited to see him do his thing. We very much need to celebrate his life.
Glenn Timmis, IndyCar observer/retired
MP: Amen, Glenn.
Q: In last week’s Mailbag you wrote that FOX appears to be the frontrunner for IndyCar’s next TV contract. The series is chasing a larger payout, but how do the teams feel about this proposed move? Would they prefer more network TV dates to help sell sponsorships?
If FOX is paying more money that’s great for the series, but consider me skeptical that any of that money will trickle down to the teams in a meaningful way.
Bob
MP: As I’m told today and have been told for a good while, there’s no huge payday awaiting IndyCar with any TV deal. One might have a few more million than the other, but the money will go to Penske Entertainment, and not the teams, since there’s no TV money or revenue sharing between IndyCar’s owner and the independent team owners.
The number one thing team owners want from TV is better ratings and bigger audiences, because that’s the valuation mechanism they use while selling sponsorship. If a TV deal is done that enriches the series’ owner but does not deliver bigger/better TV numbers for its teams to enrich themselves though greater sponsorship income, we’re going to have an ugly situation on our hands.
This TV deal is a moratorium on whether Penske Entertainment places its financial interests in front of or behind the financial interests of its paddock.
Q: I have nothing but respect for Mr. Penske and what he has done in motorsports and business. Reading what you wrote in response to Mailbag questions about the TV contact, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t take up NBC’s offer to put all the races on the network. What is he thinking?
I also read that Hyundai is looking into buying a Formula 1 team. Why are these manufacturers going other places and not IndyCar?
Excluding you, can people stop being afraid of him and start asking hard questions?
David Tucker
MP: Above everything else, Roger is a businessman, and one of the greatest businessmen we’ve known in this sport. Seeking the best financial offer makes total sense as a primary motivation for a business-first person.
And if a broadcaster was offering a huge increase, it would be hard to reject it. But from all I’ve heard, we’re talking the difference between $20 million from one and $25 million from the other, or $25 million here and $30 million there which, in the big picture, isn’t enough in my mind to turn away from an all-network offer, assuming what I’ve been told about that offer being made is accurate.