Q: The April 12 Mailbag had a response saying that the 2023 Toronto IndyCar event will squeeze 27 cars into the same overcrowded pit lane location as used in 2022. Do you think a full or partial dual pit lane arrangement like Detroit will be done there? It would appear to be a workable solution, and though he may not have used that specific term, Jay Frye apparently mentioned it last year. I have noticed that the part of the track that runs beside the pit lane has recently been repaved and maybe widened slightly, but the pit lane area would still need some work in the next few weeks.
Keith Baxter, Toronto
MP: Changes will certainly be needed if we go beyond 27 full-timers. When I last spoke to Jay about longer-term solutions, he said there were a few to pick from but nothing had been finalized. I’ll try to learn more about it over some beer and cheese curds in Wisconsin.
Q: What was going on with all the vibration problems several cars were having early on in the Indy 500?
Kent, Brazil, IN
MP: The drivers I spoke with pointed to their tires as the culprit. Was it a tire balancing issue? Construction irregularities? There were enough drivers complaining of the same thing at a wide array of teams to take it seriously. They all sign non-disparagement clauses so there’s only so much they’re allowed to say.
Q: This was my eighth visit to the 500, and the traffic leaving was the worst I’ve ever seen. It took over two hours just to leave our parking lot (and we didn’t get to our car until an hour after the race itself ended). There was no organization at the lot itself and the lone trooper directing traffic didn’t bother actually letting traffic out of our lot until nearly two hours after the race was over. Please let Roger know that there were a lot of fans who came away upset about the parking situation. It needs to be addressed for ’24 or I can see a lot of new fans not coming back.
David Z., Delaware
MP: I’ll share this with IMS prez Doug Boles, but without info on which parking lot, it’s hard for action to be taken.
Q: Many of us Indy 500 race rans are getting up in years, and the pilgrimage to IMS is getting increasingly difficult. Do you think NBC/Peacock will ever broadcast the race live in central Indiana for an event fee? I would pay $50 to the race live on TV.
If they can geofence us out, maybe they can geofence us in. We support IMS (and the town of Speedway), year-round, not just a few days a year. It would be nice to have a little payback for years of unwavering support. Nothing can compare to being at IMS on race day — you can’t put a value on that. But access to a race, supported by thousands over generations, would seem fair.
Mike, Avon, IN
MP: I hear you. But I sure do see a lot — and I mean a lot — of fans who are over 70 at the 500, and at its core, IMS makes its money to then support IndyCar and its other properties with ticket sales, concession sales, merchandise sales, and all the other things a concert hall, arena, stadium, or racetrack uses to generate its primary profits. Building new traditions for folks to come and watch live is what Penske Entertainment needs, along with welcoming its existing fans. Giving folks of all ages an out to skip being there live in favor of paying to watch it remotely is just not in the best interest of the track or series.
The idea of creating a special program for its oldest fans who might want or need an expedited concierge type of experience where they’re met in a dedicated parking area and brought into the track in a bus or golf cart to an easily accessible viewing area would be amazing, if it doesn’t already exist.
Q: The 500 had its excitements, its chargers, hard luck stories, it’s dramas. None of them included Marco Andretti. His presence in the race was barely noticed. Why does he bother, even once a year? He does no credit to the family name, team nor to himself.
Anthony Jenkins, Brockville, Ontario
MP: Hard to ignore how his last six Indy 500s have been race-day disappointments. He continues to enjoy driving, has the same dream as his dad of winning the race, and he has the talent to make it happen. It’s just been a while since his team was capable of giving him a car that was good enough for such things. I’d also suggest that among his various businesses, there’s a decent profit to be made each May that nobody with a pulse would turn down. But I did ask myself after the 107th running if the yearly struggles might be killing the fun; he’d be amazing in IMSA or whatever else he might want to do.
Q: Would IndyCar consider adding a red flag rule to the rulebook to remove the present subjective nature of it? For example, for the 500 it could state something like, “A red flag shall be displayed on lap 196 for any caution that begins prior to and overlaps with that lap. Two laps of caution will follow with a restart on lap 199. For a caution on lap 197, a red flag will be displayed with a restart on lap 200.” This would allow single, two-lap shot at the finish instead of three red flags starting in the 180s. I don’t hate (but don’t love) what they did, but having something in the rulebook removes the subjective nature of it at present would better serve everyone.
Mark Schneider
MP: They certainly could. But even if they do, they’ll always give themselves the latitude — as most sporting regulations do — to make on-the-fly decisions if they feel it’s in the best interest of the race. IndyCar has been extremely clear with its teams and drivers about doing all they can to end a race under green instead of yellow. Despite the awkward means of going green on an out lap, the series did adhere to its green-first policy.
Q: I have thoughts and a question about Pato O’Ward. First, he divebombs Dixon at Long Beach and takes him out without apology. Then, he divebombs Ericsson in Turn 3 at Indy and takes himself out and almost takes out Ericsson. He then blames Ericsson and states afterward that “next time I’ll bring him with me.” I think it’s time for them to bring him in for a long sitdown with Rick Mears or someone with the same knowledge and wisdom of the do’s and don’ts at Indy before he hurts and/or kills himself or someone else. What is wrong with him?
Steve, Chicago
MP: I got some texts from a champ and 500 winner who said they’d love nothing more than to work with Pato to root out the high-risk/low-reward instincts that remind me way too much of a young Paul Tracy. Minus the youthful overexuberance, PT’s probably a two- or three-time IndyCar champion, instead of a one-timer. There was never any doubt about PT having the talent to own CART and Champ Car for most of his career. It was his hyper-aggressive ways that too often shed wings and wheels from his cars and left points on the table that his rivals happily grabbed. Pato has the same level of ridiculous talent, but needs to start patterning himself after Scott Dixon or Josef Newgarden if he wants to reach his full potential.