Q: Which IndyCar drivers have personal contracts with engine manufacturers which would prohibit them from driving for another IndyCar team that used the opposite engine? Does this prohibit them from joining an IMSA team from another manufacturer for endurance races? (Thinking Graham Rahal driving an RLL IMSA BMW.)
Also, wouldn’t it be more lucrative for a team engaged in multiple series to contract with a single manufacturer rather than multiple manufacturers? I guess it all depends on what contracts you can negotiate.
Rick, Lisle, IL
MP: Since they don’t show us their contracts, it’s not something I can answer based on firsthand knowledge. But Scott Dixon and Alex Palou drive for Ganassi in Honda-powered cars and in Cadillacs, so that answers itself. Josef Newgarden drives a Chevy-powered car and a Porsche. Kyle Kirkwood is Honda and Lexus. I’d think Graham can drive anything he wants, but can’t say for a fact. Teams tend to go where the biggest money is found, which suggests aligning with a single manufacturer isn’t necessarily where the best money is made.
Q: I understand that IndyCar has held off yellows in the past near the end of a race as a standard practice. But seeing a 14th-place car suddenly in second was a mild shock. What is the thought process behind this? We all have heard time and again about the “danger zone” caused by not pitting when the leaders do. Newgarden was in it, and IndyCar kept it from biting him. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Mike Talarico, RIR fan, now in Charlotte
MP: Josef was actually leading when the caution for Marcus Armstrong’s spin and crash at Turn 4 happened. Through great pit strategy and some good luck, plus hard driving on Newgarden’s part, his No. 2 Chevy had overcome a lot of their earlier adversity, was sitting 10th when he pitted on lap 54.
Q: David Malsher-Lopez had a cool video on RACER where he did a track walk at Laguna Seca with Will Power. Great to hear the insights from Will about different angles and techniques when entering a corner or the run-up to a corner.
I know that track walks have become the norm in Formula 1. Do you know when and who started doing these in both F1 and IndyCar and when the rest of the fields began to do them?
Brandon, Lodi, CA
MP: I’ve seen track walks being done for decades and they have been the norm at professional races for as long as I can remember. My run through SCCA drivers school in 1990 included a track walk at Sonoma Raceway, FWIW. I can’t say when or where they started, but I’m sure a Google search could provide some answers.
Q: I am a little sad that the Ganassi team seems to be leaving Le Mans for now. Having two IndyCar champions racing in the top class against European aces is one of the many things that make Le Mans such a unique race. Do you think that the clash of the 2025 schedules between Le Mans and IndyCar may have played a role in the divorce with Cadillac?
Also, does Ganassi only want a program that will enable him to take part on both sides of the Atlantic? Maybe that was one of the reasons he did not reach a deal with Acura. What about Alpine, the other LMDh with the ORECA chassis? The car is not reliable, but when it is running, it is somewhat competitive compared to the other LMDhs in the WEC field. To me, it seems like a deal with some potential for success that gives you the chance to race at both Le Mans and in IMSA, but I do not know about the willingness, budget, or capacity of the French manufacturer to provide extra cars. Especially for next year, it seems impossible.
Dimitrios, Greece
MP: As a bigger team that relies on full funding from a manufacturer, compared to some teams that have their own sponsors to bring to make the spend by the manufacturer smaller, Ganassi continues to search for a new brand that fits its business model. Calendars and the rest have nothing to do with the split with Cadillac and the lack of a deal with Acura.
Q: Near as I can tell, IMSA’s broadcast deal expires as soon as this off-season, but there has been little talk of what the next deal might look like or on which network. Getting a payout comparable to IndyCar, let alone NASCAR, is likely not in the offing given the TV ratings, but I’m wondering if NBC losing one of their other racing properties means IMSA could shift networks? It is perplexing that the amount of press coverage and in-person attendance for IMSA races has increased, especially in the new GTP era, but the series has yet to fully catch on with the viewing public.
Ryan, Rhode Island
MP: IMSA’s extension with NBC was confirmed on Friday (after you sent this letter), which I’ve heard might go through the end of the decade and adds more broadcast coverage.
IndyCar’s departure has favored IMSA, no doubt. Here’s the main issue that’s hard to overcome for an endurance racing series: To get better TV ratings, more network time is needed, but when half of your races are six hours long or more, it’s all but impossible to get six, 10, 12, or 24 hours on NBC. So, it’s working to get more of those races on cable with USA where the progress starts, and when possible, to get an hour here or there at the really long races on NBC before moving to a blend of USA and streaming on Peacock.
The other half of the races that are 1h40m to 2h40m are obviously easier to run on NBC, and as NBC moves forward with NASCAR and IMSA as its two main racing series, I’d imagine there will be more effort by NBC to feature the sports car series owned by NASCAR.