Q: Is Hy-Vee looking to drop its sponsorship of the No. 45 a reflection of lack of results, or is this a case of Mr. Penske (whom I used to have great admiration for!) poaching the sponsorship?
Russell Zipoff
MP: According to Hy-Vee, it has ceased all car sponsorships in IndyCar, and any event sponsorships outside of Iowa. Assuming this doesn’t change, we can breathe a sigh of relief. Had Hy-Vee left RLL and showed up on a car affiliated with Team Penske, there would have been an uprising in the paddock.
As for the reasoning, we didn’t get that answer, but I believe the deal that ran through 2024 was done with its former CEO, who was gone from the company when it was time for an extension to be explored. Also, even if the new CEO wasn’t a fan, the case to continue would have been stronger if the No. 45 was winning races and a semi-regular podium finisher.
Q: On the whole, I like the look of the new Arlington circuit but am concerned that Turns 1 and 2 are going to be a problem due to the pit exit location. It looks pretty narrow. What do you think?
Doug Mayer
MP: Shouldn’t be an issue if drivers exiting the pits are prohibited from diving straight to the apex at Turn 2. I’m more concerned about the funneling into Turn 1 on the start. I’d guess IndyCar will do like they do in Portland and throw the green super early so the field spreads out before they get to the first corner.
Q: It was like my voice has been heard by IndyCar. If you look at the current street circuits, they all seem to be about a 1.6 or 1.7 miles long, be it St. Petersburg, Toronto or Detroit, with the exception being Long Meach at 1.9 miles. You need a track minimum length to be about two miles for any kind of meaningful racing to happen, especially when there are big beasts like IndyCar racing around the circuit.
I hope this is the beginning of a trend where proper long, wide-open street tracks will become a norm rather than regressing to the old short, narrow racetracks. I hope when IndyCar goes back to Nashville, they build in the track around the stadium right now so a track like Arlington can be achieved. And I hope to see St. Petersburg, Detroit and Toronto stretch out by a bit. I think in the long run this Arlington racetrack will be the best of IndyCar street tracks
Shyam Cherupalla
MP: I wouldn’t hold out too much hope on going back to downtown Nashville. It’s not impossible, but if the Nashville Speedway solution continues to be a success, the argument to put on a big and intensive production in the middle of a city becomes harder to make.
Q: In light of the recent Grand Prix of Arlington announcement, I’ll say a couple of nice things. The layout looks like it will lend itself to a good street race, and if this race ends taking the slot currently occupied by the Thermal Club, that’s a trade I will gladly take.
What is rubbing me the wrong way is the sentiment and messaging of “IndyCar is finally in Dallas!” when there has been a race in the area for 30 years. The rollout for the Grand Prix has been impressive but I can’t help but feel that if the race at Texas Motor Speedway had half of the same energy being put into it, then maybe it survives. It’s no secret the past couple of years was brutal in the terms of attendance, but the races in the mid 2010s had OK crowds, so what’s the smoking gun for the race’s demise? No more Eddie? Changes in the race date and track reconfiguration? SMI and IndyCar not playing nice with each other?
Mitch, Michigan
MP: As I was told, IndyCar was willing to accept all kinds of imperfect options to race at TMS this year, but the track said no each time. With the Olympics compressing the calendar, the series was willing to go early, late, and right after a NASCAR visit, which would have come with a smaller crowd after folks just spent a bunch to see a Cup race the previous weekend, and all options were declined.
Q: In my opinion Andretti stepping back from his company has to do with Maffei telling the Andrettis, ‘You will never get in into F1 on my watch.’ Maffei was upset about the Andrettis getting Congress involved. This way Towriss can continue the F1 plan. Right now, F1 is a good business to be in. What’s your opinion? Oh, by the way Toyota wants a piece of the publicity so much so that they’re basically sponsoring a Ferrari-engined team!
Jack. Ft. Pierce, FL
MP: Pretty much what I wrote two weeks ago in the Mailbag, Jack. All my sources continue to say this is a move to appease Cadillac/Liberty Media.