Q: Thank you for a great article on Juri Vips. I hate seeing these kids get crucified for one dumb mistake. We’ve all made mistakes but a lot of us have been lucky that they stayed private. Let’s move on and give the kid a second chance.
Dave Seaton, Indianapolis
MARSHALL PRUETT: I hear you, Dave. When I think of mistakes, locking your keys in your car or forgetting to tip the waiter come to mind. Uncorking the N-word is a mistake, no doubt, but it’s one with well-known and well-defined repercussions, and might make you question why that “mistake” was made.
Nonetheless, Vips and the RLL team appear to be genuinely interested in gathering knowledge that will help the kid in life and as a professional, so while it’s sad it took this kind of situation to come to this realization, I do think Vips will be a better person after going through this self-induced hell.
Q: There were many letters last week about fuel saving. I believe what these people don’t understand is that even if IndyCar gave the teams an unlimited amount of fuel there would still be fuel saving, especially near the end of the race. There will always be three vs four stop strategies, and those strategies will change because of yellows.
You cannot remove strategy from racing. Why in the world would you want to? The only answer is the sprint format used in the mid-1970s F5000 racing. No stops at all. And when one car checks out on the field, the complaints about a lack of close racing will be deafening.
Mike Talarico, 60 years in Riverside, CA, now near Charlotte, NC
MARSHALL PRUETT: I do hope that more folks will recognize that a driver’s ability to save fuel while making speed is just as big of a skill as driving at maximum speed without saving fuel. It’s not an aberration; being great at using less fuel to go quickly is a huge differentiator, just like being able to go 0.01s faster per lap in qualifying.
Q: I love that Helio is part-owner of MSR, and I also heard TK state that he is interested in future team ownership in IndyCar. Are there any other drivers you know who have an interest in ownership? It seems with Scott Dixon’s not only amazing ability to drive out a team strategy but to understand what it takes to win, that he would be an outstanding future owner!
Dixon’s domination at WWTR reminded me of the unfair advantage Penske/Donohue displayed in Can-Am years ago, except Penske/Donohue had the best equipment. Dixon was racing all those other equal Hondas in the field! Absolute amazing job by Ganassi/Dixon!
Tim
MARSHALL PRUETT: Dixie’s too smart to start an IndyCar team. There are many who have the smarts to do so, like Simon Pagenaud, but I just don’t see him putting in 20-hour days for the next five years to bring a team to life.
Q: How long before Alex Palou starts his own team? As plenty of drivers can attest, his ability to not honor contracts makes him perfect for team ownership!
Secondly, I was hoping WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca would take the March/April slot in 2024 so I could go to the race. Selfishly, I always miss the fall date because I spend the entire five days at Petit Le Mans each year, and the two race dates are too close together for me to pull it off. Is it just the concern about March/April being the rainy season, or is something else in play? And let’s be honest, the rainy season in that area is still hit-or-miss showers at best.
Zack S, Atlanta, GA
MARSHALL PRUETT: We do get rain, but there’s no telling how much or how little it will be. Even so, the track doesn’t want to risk a poor turnout so it’s aiming for June or July.
Q: With the recent news of Ericsson heading off to Andretti and Linus Lundqvist moving to Ganassi in the number No. 8 with Marcus Armstrong going full-time in the No. 11, I couldn’t help but notice the contradiction here. Ericsson brought his own funding to the No. 8 and now sees fit that he should be paid. He and Ganassi couldn’t come to terms, and off to Andretti he goes.
Armstrong, to the best of my knowledge, is funding his ride in the No. 11. Linus has no financial backing, and as we’ve heard since winning in Lights, that was the major hurdle for him not being in the series in 2023. Yet, he is now the pilot of the No. 8, a supposed pay-driver ride. The math isn’t working out here. Is this another Palou small-dollar contract that he accepted in the hopes of proving his ability?
And what about Ericsson? Is this a slap in the face to him? Does Chip see him as a non-championship contender even though he’s brought home podiums, wins and the Borg-Warner Trophy? Did Chip offer him peanuts? Or is it merely the old adage of why buy the cow since I was getting the milk for free?
Ken P., Naperville, IL
MARSHALL PRUETT: Makes total sense, Ken. Chip offered to pay Marcus to drive the No. 8 and fund it through team-found sponsors. Marcus declined the offer, which was said to be good, but nothing like the $4 million per year Andretti’s said to give him, which made it easy to sign Linus. I’m sure he isn’t being paid a ton because he hasn’t done anything to warrant a big contract.
Q: Who actually owns the Borg-Warner Trophy? Next year, when Penske’s captive stewards give him his 20th win, will it become a permanent decoration on the credenza in Roger’s office?
Russ Wakeman, Canton, MI
MARSHALL PRUETT: There’s a rumor on the Internet that the Borg-Warner Trophy is owned by Borg-Warner. Roger would turn it into motor racing’s great Russian Doll, with all of his Baby Borgs kept inside the main trophy.