Q: Will push to pass come from the electric motor next year, or will it still come from the waste gate control on the turbo?
Brad Heuer, Idaho
MP: The electric horsepower from the energy recovery system is the new push-to-pass, so the turbos and wastegates will get their first break from delivering P2P boost since 2012.
Q: Why is Thermal Club not slotting either as the round before St.Pete, or after the season finale at Nashville?
Second, it is totally unfair for non-American race fans as IndyCar hasn’t uploaded upload full races since 2019. When will Penske Entertainment upload all the races? (Don’t give me any crap about rewind full races or highlights).
Darren, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
MP: As IndyCar mentioned, its place on the calendar is to fill a six-week void in action.
As for the charming tone with the second item, if it hasn’t happened in four years, you might want to stop hitting the refresh button.
Q: I am not complaining about the 2024 IndyCar schedule. I am thankful that Milwaukee is on the schedule. I started attending IndyCar races at The Meadowlands in 1987, near where I grew up. I then attended Nazareth Speedway from 1990 until its closing. I have attended all sorts of IndyCar tracks, and the thing that remains is that I have no choice but to travel to races as there is nothing anywhere near me (NYC area).
I think IndyCar is missing an opportunity with two races at Milwaukee. A Saturday night race would really add something different to the engineering side, as opposed to the daytime race on Sunday. I believe that would add to the challenge instead of two races in potentially identical circumstances. It’s not unprecedented – Champ Car raced under the lights at Milwaukee back in 2003. I am hopeful this can happen. Either way my brother and I are excited and will be in attendance in 2024.
Ray Tetro
MP: It will be interesting to see what the 2025 calendar looks like and whether Milwaukee drops to a single round. Like you, I’m stoked to return to the fairgrounds and hope it survives.
Q: I’m one of what sounds like a few that are looking forward to the exhibition race at Thermal. I sure can’t understand why IndyCar fans are upset about more racing, especially at a beautiful facility like Thermal. Good things can come of it, so why not give it a shot?
My question is, do you know who the two teams are that Don Cusick is talking to concerning entering a car at this event? My guess is Coyne and Juncos Hollinger. I am a fan of Cusick’s, and I really hope that he can enter more races outside of the Indy 500. Along those lines, any word on who Cusick may partner with for the 500? I’d like to see him with DRR again, and give Stefan Wilson a proper chance, but I read somewhere that Don is talking with other teams. I love his passion, and he needs to have a Cusick Motorsports entry in this May’s Indy 500!
Scott Freeman, Bloomington, IN
MP: I do know the teams, but that info wasn’t shared in an on-the-record conversation with Don. After our article ran, the series provided Don with additional clarity that he’d need to commit to a full-time entry to take part in the $1 million challenge, so for him to be on the grid with his own car, that’s the direction he’ll need to go to make it happen.
If DRR called and said it wanted to continue I’m sure a deal would get done by the end of the week, but I haven’t heard about that happening so far.
Q: This is my first submission since we lost Robin. I have struggled since Robin’s passing to send a note, but I had a moment a couple of weeks ago that made it easy. My youngest son and I went to a fairly low-key event at Canadian Tire Motorsprt Park. This was a combination vintage and modern sports car event. These guys are truly passionate about the sport that we love. This isn’t about fame or fortune. They are doing it for the love.
The event that took our fancy was one with modern sports cars. There was a Corvette that took the pole for the Saturday race but had a trouble with the window net and had to come in to fix it. His day was ruined.
We chatted with him in the pits and he was very matter of fact. ‘Poop happens’ were his exact words. Shortly thereafter, the team asked my 10-year-old son if he would like to sit in the car. ‘Enter this way and don’t touch the switches’ were the guidance. He did, and we had a guy to cheer for on Sunday.
Come the next day and the race started based upon the Saturday qualifying. One by one, our new hero picked them off and went on to win the main event of the weekend. My little guy and I went to the podium ceremony and the winner happily posed for a photo with him holding the trophy. What a class act. Thank you, Jim Beaton. You gained a couple of new fans. I attach a photo of a 10-year-old that had a blast (below). His Dad had a pretty good time too 🙂
Duncan, Port Perry, Canada
MP: I spent time last weekend in Monterey with Porsche racing legend Jorg Bergmeister, who has won every major sports car race on the planet, and we were talking about the former Flying Lizard racing team he drove for in the U.S. The team was a ton of fun — and fiercely good — and Jorg recounted how the team owner, Seth Neiman, was always pushing his crew and drivers to actively invite kids to come and sit in their race cars because it was going to make lifelong fans of the sport, at a minimum, and create the same personal bond your son developed. Sounds like Jim is practicing the same thing, which is heartening.
