Q: After reading about the proposed charter memberships and capping the fields at 27 outside of Indianapolis… tracks like WWTR, Milwaukee, Road America, and some others could easily handle 30 cars. I understand at tracks like Mid-Ohio, Barber, yes you would have to restrict the number. You would think having 30+ cars at WWTR would be great. They should just set grid sizes by venue. Also, they need to expand the Leaders Circle — 21 cars is as old as the dinosaurs.
Is IndyCar not taking Honda seriously about 2026? We have heard nothing about any new manufacturers.
AE, Danville, IN
MP: Last I heard was Penske Entertainment talking to Stellantis — Dodge, Chrysler, Peugeot, etc. — about coming in with one American brand and one European brand. They’re finally taking Honda seriously, and what’s likely to happen with the next engine formula is close to what Honda suggested, but it’s too soon to tell if the cost cuts and overall increase in value Honda’s been seeking will be enough to keep the brand in the series.
Q: Can you refresh my memory about the Townsend Bell/Pat Patrick working (pay) relationship… and unintended humor? I think Townsend once told a story when he was first employed by Pat Patrick. Somehow, Pat forgot, mispronounced or garbled Townsend’s first name in conversation with Bell. Townsend somehow was not miffed and replied, “Mr. Patrick’s check for my services cleared my bank account, and that was good enough for my purposes!” Ha ha.
Tom Fitzgerald
MP: Here’s what Towny said: “It wasn’t about money. My first IndyCar race was for Pat, in 2001, and my first two races were at the Lausitzring and Rockingham, and I was doing Indy Lights that year and then I was going to race for him my full rookie year (in 2002). It was in my fifth or sixth race the next season and I had been contracted to him for about nine months at that point, and we were at whatever race and he said on the radio, ‘Thompson, this is Pat Patrick,’ and to myself I’m like, ‘No s***, I know who you are…and who’s ‘Thompson?’ He says, ‘Thompson, I want you to pass that car in front of you.’ And then he called me ‘Thompson’ for the rest of the time I drove for him.”
Q: My annual question: When you were in Long Beach, did you learn anything new about the status of the Dan Gurney autobiography?
Rick Johnson, Lynnwood, WA
MP: I didn’t see Evi for more than a moment at Long Beach, nor did I see Kathy Weida for more than 30 seconds, so no, I’ve failed in my mission. But Evi sent me an email a few days ago, and once I get home I’ll catch my breath and respond and inquire.
Q: I hope you don’t roll your eyes when you read this question, but it is something I have always wondered: What causes the jerky steering wheel movements through turns? Is it the bouncing of the car and if it comes up a little too high the wheel turns a little too fast with less weight on the tires? It looks like great resistance and then the resistance goes away, but they never turned so far that they have to countercorrect unless the rear end comes around.
Please be kind, I have never driven anything nearly as fast or advanced as these cars.
David, New Albany, IN
MP: Brother, I love these kinds of questions.
IndyCars do not have power steering, which is an important fact to know. Power steering systems (hydraulic or electric) often feature some form of damping to reduce kickback through the steering wheel, so with a purely mechanical system like the one found in IndyCar, there’s no damping whatsoever.
Of the various reasons for what you see, keep in mind that the cars have stiff coilover springs and shock (dampers) that hold the car in place and resist aerodynamic loading and bumps, and the phenomenon you describe is mostly found on road and street courses where the kickback is the biggest and most obvious. If the suspension settings (springs, dampers) were super soft, you wouldn’t see the snappy steering wheel kickback as often.
You have uneven track surfaces with dips or bumps that jerk the front tires in whatever direction, and sometimes in different ways if the left-front and right-front are running over different pieces of road. You have the difference in compression, with the car leaning left or right based on the corner its navigating, and the compressed side being the most vulnerable to undulations that fire back through the steering wheel. There are other factors, like the castor settings and Ackermann, but that’s getting into the weeds. Thanks for asking!