Q: Thanks to you and Marshall for covering this mess so well, passion and professionalism together. Now for the ramble and rant. I am one of the many who has said they are "done" with Indy. And then I read the great news that one of my favorites, Simona, just go the big break she needs. Ok, so I'll watch a few races to see her progress. I am in Edmonton, which lost its race due to bungling and bad faith among every party. How is it a race deemed a success still "loses" money, and I put that in quotation marks because, let's not kid ourselves, somebody made money. I first attended the Edmonton race as a Champ Car event, man those cars were scary-fast. Then as IRL, man those cars are ugly and sound weird. Over each year of the race it seemed to diminish in a variety of ways. First, they took out grandstands in good locations, then the park and ride service got worse. In fact, two years ago I went to the park and ride station and ... it was gone! In my lifetime I've seen big-time road racing grow and die twice in Edmonton. I did attend a news conference at City Hall and met Hinch, Taku and Justin Wilson. Great guys, you can see the fire burning inside them to drive the fastest horse in the race. It's too bad all this nonsense is conspiring to take that away from them.

Earl McKenzie, Edmonton

RM: The first two Champ Car races in your fair city had more than 200,000 spectators (legit) in three days and Toronto even asked if Edmonton not to announce its crowd figures. It’s a shame because the original circuit was bad ass and the fans were always so enthusiastic. I don’t know how an airport circuit lost the kind of money they claimed but you are correct that things got worse every year.

Q: So let's see if I can summarize the reasons for Randy's firing: The owners were mad because it costs more to race in IndyCar than their local indoor kart track, the drivers were mad because he had a backup plan to replace the tire supplier that abandoned them then came back on the condition of extortionate prices, and the board figured the best way to quiet the controversy was to dump the fan favorite with no plan in place other than to ask the fans to keep forking over money. Sadly I've been on an oversight board that functioned pretty much the same way, with the same results so this isn't too surprising. Meanwhile, I read my 3-month old daughter her "I is for Indy" picture book last night. She was smiling and giggling until we got to H for Hulman George and she started fussing. By the time we got to Tony George, she was sobbing inconsolably. There goes the next generation of fans.

Tyler, Azusa, CA

RM: Careful Tyler, that’s child abuse in some states.

Q: Let's look at just the facts: One: Indy Car came close to breaking even last year. This is a change any board member should be pleased with considering how the series was hemorrhaging money during the TG reign.

Two: IndyCar was becoming relevant again, there was momentum, full fields, new tracks, excitement - passing for the lead!

Three: Granted Firestone was put out with Randy attempting to negotiate the best tire deal for the organization. But didn't Randy have to beg Firestone to stay with IndyCar a couple of years ago? Don't you want your CEO doing what's best for the organization? Getting the best deals, minimizing risk?

Four: Continuity - there isn't any. It's just not plausible that a board is thinking what's best for an organization when they fire a CEO with no succession plan! On top of that, Jeff Belskus the "interim" CEO stated, "I met with the leadership team and the staff and the team is energized, I'm energized by what I am seeing. We have a bright future." So, let me get this straight, there is a good team, you're energized with the results of Randy's labor, so … he's fired? (And by the way, to you Jeff, you seemed only too happy to take on the CEO title. Love your loyalty...)

Five: Look at the leaders in F1 and NASCAR. Is Bernie loved - or even liked? Was Bill France a benevolent leader?

Six: It is different this time. No, I won't stop watching the races on TV - but I'm not going to Milwaukee and Iowa next year as I had planned. Reading your Mailbag over the last two weeks I sense a different tone, there is still passion, but something also has changed. There are an awful lot of fans like me; we've stuck with IndyCar through the good times, bad times and back to the good times but we're tired of all the crap. It's just not worth it to always be the guy talking up IndyCar to NASCAR buddies. IndyCar is the laughing stock of racing.

To the board at Indy: I'm your customer. I was buying tickets next year to Milwaukee and Iowa because I finally felt there was a leader I could believe in. You fired him. You lost me (something that likely is of interest to Verizon, Sun Drop, Go Daddy, etc.). But, maybe some of your car owners will be happier - and they pay the bills, don't they?

Wally (waiting for sports cars in 2014), Eden Prairie, MN

RM: I’d say you’ve got a pretty good grasp of the facts and you are in a big majority of the hardcore fans who write to the Mailbag but not sure if the Lynch Mob truly gets it. Yet.

Q: I was an Indy 500 seat holder and 300 mile (roundtrip) race day commuter for nearly 30 years (Rows GG and HH Northwest Vista). I sat through the "The Split" hoping that open wheel could once again become the sport that initially drew me to attend the 500 and time trials since 1980. Unfortunately I gave up my tickets the year before Randy Bernard was hired as I became convinced the people in charge were destined to destroy what little remained of the series. After I did not renew my tickets I was not even contacted by anyone at IMS to inquire about the reason for the non-renewal of these longtime tickets. After that I felt pretty satisfied that I had made the right decision. But then the decision makers in Indianapolis hired Randy Bernard to hopefully bring back the glory days of the series. After following Randy's implementation of new ideas for the series and seeing the progress this year I was beginning to feel I had made a huge mistake in giving up my tickets. But fortunately the (bored) of directors in Indy has reinforced my decision with their Randy Bernard dismissal. I will still watch the 500 on television next year even though the decision makers continually chip away at the tradition and enthusiasm I have long-held for the sport. I feel without a new leader with vision (like a Randy Bernard) the sport may eventually cease to mean anything to me or others that have grown up with it.

Brad, LaPorte, Ind.

RM: Finally, at last, a happy ending to Bernard’s assassination.

Q: With all of the IndyCar chaos, I have wondered what would happen to the Indy 500 should the series ever go out of business and shut down entirely. Yes it is premature to imagine, but they are certainly alienating fans enough that I could see it in the years to come. Anyway, I am guessing the 500 is big enough in itself to survive in some way, shape or form. Or is it, anymore? So for hypothetical purposes and it were to come to such, what would we see running in the Indy 500? In conclusion, I will chime in like so many have. I was seriously considering my first experience of the 500 in May 2013. But after recent events and suspicions that TG is some way involved or could return to the scene of the crime, I am no longer interested and unsubscribed from the speedway’s mailing list. Like most feel, IMS can KMA.

Jim Morrison

RM: I do think Indy could survive for a while without a series but only if the rule book was thrown wide open. LOL on KMA (I’m picking up this social media).