Q: During the network St. Pete broadcast, the race analysts pointed out treacherous areas of the track where tire marbles had accumulated. This seems to come up a lot during IndyCar coverage, and I gather that they pose significant peril at a lot of tracks. I don’t seem to notice this coming up much during F1 or NASCAR races (though to be honest, unlike IndyCar races, I tend to fast-forward through F1 more than any other series). Are tire marbles more of an issue in IndyCar than in other series, or is it simply what our particular analysts focus on?
LA Racing Fan
MP: Marbles are found in every racing series, so they aren’t unique to IndyCar. But we do talk about them quite often in IndyCar, which is well spotted.
Q: To Pat in Indy: You should check out the pits at Barber and for sure go to the museum. It has the greatest collection of motorcycles you can see anywhere, along with Lotus cars. Tell us how you like all the giant animals spread around the place.
Tom
MP: Thanks!
Q: Everyone always talks down on the film “Driven” from 2001. I was watching it last night and thought the film really wasn’t that bad. The story was lousy but the cast was pretty good. The film quality was also first rate. Can we agree that at the very least it was great promotion flick?
Jon L., Chicago, IL
MP: Sadly, no. It’s the worst racing movie ever made. CART died two years after its release, so it was an epic failure as a promotional tool.
Q: I am writing this only minutes after reading the March 20th Mailbag in direct response to Tim Davis from Detroit’s letter suggesting banning refueling. I say to this: No. No, no, no, no, no no. Have I said no enough times? Because no. Very no. Let me count the reasons why IndyCar must not ban refueling, and why F1 needs to bring it back.
1) Strategy. While fuel saving strategies aren’t always exciting, they do add an element to the overall picture that can, and often does, spice things up. While F1 once did a study saying bringing back refueling made things worse, that study was based on going back to the old ways of letting teams start on whatever fuel load they want instead of the IndyCar way of always starting on full tanks. If the lap count makes interesting strategizing difficult, then maybe some laps should be added.
2) Safety. The immobilizers in modern IndyCar address the most serious concern about refueling in the pits. Since these immobilizers were implemented, we haven’t had a car take off with a fuel shoe attached, and the few fires we’ve had have been incredibly minor thanks to the safety systems in the hoses.
3) Safety Part 2: Think about Pipo Derani’s crash at Sebring if a fire occurred. Thirty-some seconds may be a decent response time, but if there’s a fire that’s still enough time to cause harm.
4) ROMAIN GROSJEAN: Do I even need to say this? The sheer amount of fuel feeding that fire was a major factor in how bad that was and how hard it was to put out. I’d been raising the alarm about something like ever since F1 implemented the refueling ban, but was always dismissed. And annoyingly my points are still dismissed solely because Romain survived it.
I don’t know about you, but the possibility of a fire like Grosjean’s occurring while a car is in a position like Derani’s is a possibility that terrifies me. Fire is scary enough without adding even more fuel to it — Grosjean’s fireball should have been a wakeup call to F1, but they’re ignoring it the same way they did the spring to Massa’s head, or the tire to Henry Surtees’.
Until you find a way to make fires effectively impossible, we should not even be thinking about the notion of banning refueling in any long-distance class of motorsport.
Teal deer: People need to stop proposing things that create needless risk for benefits that are both minimal and highly situational.
Rant done.
FormulaFox
PS: NO.
MP: The next time I take a vacation from the Mailbag, you’re my guest contributor.
Q: You have mentioned many times in the Mailbag that owners and drivers have fears of repercussions if they were to publicly complain about the series or the owner. I do not recall ever hearing what exactly these repercussions that they fear would be? Or if anyone has actually had repercussions from speaking out?
Craig
MP: Fear comes in all forms. There’s nothing Penske can take from the owners, so it’s more a fear of disappointing someone they respect, fear of being yelled at by someone who is important to them, fear of causing Penske to close his mind on something they want to see changed, etc. Being dressed down by Penske is an unpleasant experience, but that’s a dumb thing to say since I can’t think of a dressing down that would qualify as pleasant…
Q: I have a concern about ticket sales for this Labor Day Milwaukee Mile doubleheader. Since the event was announced I have been talking with the Wisconsin State Fair ticket office weekly about purchasing tickets. Presently the only tickets being sold are for the main straight grandstand. The ticket office has been told by the people from IndyCar that they will not allow corner seats sold until the main grandstand seats are sold out.
I grew up in West Allis, where the Milwaukee Mile is located, and have attended IndyCar races since the ’60s. Back then we had two IndyCar races every year, plus multiple stock car races during the week of the fair. I always sat in the first corner where the racing was spectacular.
Having been a corner marshal at Road America for over 30 years, mostly at Turn 14, I know where the race fans congregate. Spectators at the “National Park of Speed” go to Turns 1, 3, 5, 8, 12, not on the main straights.
Race fans like me like to plan well in advance to get the best seats and make other travel arrangements. I have my trailer site at the fair’s campground already. With this event on the Labor Day weekend, all plans, including seat selection is a priority now.
I have made multiple calls and left messages to the IndyCar offices about their ticket policy, and as of yet have not received any calls back. If IndyCar is wishing to have a successful Labor Day doubleheader weekend, I hope that they open up the best seats soon so fans like me can make plans well in advance.
Bill, West Allis
MP: IndyCar, please take care of a time-honored fan of The Mile.