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INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 11.21
Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.
Can IndyCar fans get back to focusing on its drivers and great racing, asks one Mailbag reader. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
Hello open-wheel types and thanks for all your questions. I intend to answer your questions every week during the season, so just email me at . Don’t feel left out if I didn’t directly respond. I appreciate your interest and passion.
~Robin Miller
Q: An observation to all of those fans who "claim" they are going away and staying away until they see IndyCar "rights the ship." This was the best year in IndyCar that I can recall since I was a little kid. The races were incredible, the driver list is off the charts good, and most importantly, there has been real momentum surrounding the series for the first time in almost 20 years. Do I agree with what happened to Randy? Certainly not. Matter of fact, I am definitely concerned about the direction moving forward. That being said, why would I, as a fan, take a pre-emptive strike against the drivers I love to follow and the races I like to watch just because a CEO in an office at Indy is no longer there? They haven't even turned a lap! That's a disservice to every driver who has taken the time to shake my hand and talk to me in the garage at the races I attend. That is a disservice to the excitement my friends and I get camping out at Indy and driving up to Dallas. Any "fan" who allows themselves to be a fan of politics over racing wasn't really a fan at all. If the racing sucks next year, leave. If it’s as entertaining as it was this year, then what a laughable situation this will be in hindsight.
Josh, Houston
RM: As I’ve said and written, a lot of fans will have probably simmered down by St. Pete and you are right – no one person is bigger than the show itself. The real crime is that the new management keeps going on and on about how great things look for 2013 and that’s a direct compliment to Randy Bernard and almost insulting to you people. But other than Penske and Ganassi maybe having the edge in time spent in the wind tunnel and on the shaker rig, the racing should still be close and entertaining.
Q: Now that Jeff Belskus is the new CEO, is he going to the one who gets the stability back in the series? Or will he be thrown under the bus, like all the rest?
Daniel Bullock
RM: I really thought Randy Bernard was stabilizing things and he pretty much got thrown under the bus by Belskus.
Q: With Belskus now full-time CEO of IndyCar would it be fair to say that we fans are to be expecting looking at the same cars for the next eight years or more since I get the impression he will bow to the owners and cave in on the aero kits?
Gary McDonald
RM: Good question. The owners made it clear they didn’t want them but who’s to say that Honda and GM are forbidden from building them or that they’ve already got a good start?
Q: How many Miles before he gets fired?
Barney Collburn
RM: Depends on which owners he pisses off I guess.
Q: Concerning your last mailbag letter last week from Al, I, too, am of his mindset I am not done with IndyCar, but recent events have definitely dampened my enthusiasm. To IndyCar: YOU had something special going and let’s hope firing your leader does not put a grinding halt to the momentum it’s gained. I became a NASCAR fan in the late 90's after Texas Motor Speedway was built and I started paying attention to the sport, although I remember a time when I was younger when CART was the biggest show around. I was not a motorsports fan at that time but you always watched the Indy 500, then the split came and open wheel seemed to become irrelevant. This past year I watched every IndyCar race, instead of NASCAR, for the first time in 13 or so years I was not interested in following NASCAR at all, partly because IndyCar’s product was so much better, partly because of the new car formula, partly because of Chevy's new involvement. I did not go to a NASCAR race but I went to the IndyCar race (the Texas race with reduced downforce was RE-diculous good), I even went to watch IndyCar test at Texas in May and I know I could not have been the only one in this boat. I really hope the board does not screw up American open-wheel again like they did in the mid 90's because I was really enjoying the product.
Lillie in TX
RM: Randy left it in good shape, at least for 2013 with a good schedule, a couple new venues, doubleheaders and all the TV races all packaged together by network. Of course the Indy 500 and month of May were always bulletproof at one time so who knows what the future holds with this new “vision.”
Q: Hey Robin! I have been having some deep thinking (no grown man should) concerning the state of IndyCar. I am a gearhead but more importantly my daughter and nephew are, too. We went to the 500 last year and had a blast, money well spent. The conversation around the dinner table this year concerns the question: Why should we go? See, we live up here in the Pacific Northwest and Indy is 2,000 miles away. Except for my time in the Air Force I've been to 20 Indy 500's, each time a memorable event. However until the people at 16th and Georgetown grow up and someone with the knowledge and experience to run the series happens, we can’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a questionable product. Sorry, I'm old school and believe that re-examining history and taking what worked in the past and using it in the future could give us a wonderful, potent series. "Not in this economy" is a horse**** excuse if you have a quality product. With the clowns running things that's not going to happen. What person would want to oversee IndyCar with the bosses like the present board? I am not giving up on IndyCar but until the toxic atmosphere goes away I'll stay up here and go to the local races.
A.J. Stettner, Gearhead
RM: The quick answer is that you’ll go because it’s still going to be a great race and atmosphere and it’s what’s hooked you 20 times before. A lot of us want to return to those days of innovation and speed records but that’s not likely going to happen. We’ll have to be content with the best race they put on at 16th & Georgetown.
Q: With what appears to be a successful return of F1 to the US as evidenced by the exciting race at Austin, and F1's CEO Bernie Ecclestone calling for at least two more US-based F1 races, do you see this being yet another cause for concern amongst IndyCar's management? F1 has deeper pockets and ostensibly better management and they appear to be courting potential US sponsors and maybe even American drivers. I have no fear IndyCar drivers will continue to thrill, Chevy and Honda will continue to provide stellar support, but I have to wonder if certain persons can just pretend F1's presence in the US is destined for yet another exit in a couple of years due to the overwhelming success of NASCAR and whatever IndyCar manages to do. COTA is a marvelous track and I can see it being a part of other racing circuits, even IndyCar.
Franklyn Cook
RM: You ask a good question but I’m not sure it can be answered for a couple years. The USGP at IMS was a smash for the first couple years and then it gradually started its descent and F1 in the USA only played twice (Watkins Glen and Long Beach) for an extended period so I’ll remain skeptical that it will always be a hit in Texas.
~Robin Miller
Q: An observation to all of those fans who "claim" they are going away and staying away until they see IndyCar "rights the ship." This was the best year in IndyCar that I can recall since I was a little kid. The races were incredible, the driver list is off the charts good, and most importantly, there has been real momentum surrounding the series for the first time in almost 20 years. Do I agree with what happened to Randy? Certainly not. Matter of fact, I am definitely concerned about the direction moving forward. That being said, why would I, as a fan, take a pre-emptive strike against the drivers I love to follow and the races I like to watch just because a CEO in an office at Indy is no longer there? They haven't even turned a lap! That's a disservice to every driver who has taken the time to shake my hand and talk to me in the garage at the races I attend. That is a disservice to the excitement my friends and I get camping out at Indy and driving up to Dallas. Any "fan" who allows themselves to be a fan of politics over racing wasn't really a fan at all. If the racing sucks next year, leave. If it’s as entertaining as it was this year, then what a laughable situation this will be in hindsight.
Josh, Houston
RM: As I’ve said and written, a lot of fans will have probably simmered down by St. Pete and you are right – no one person is bigger than the show itself. The real crime is that the new management keeps going on and on about how great things look for 2013 and that’s a direct compliment to Randy Bernard and almost insulting to you people. But other than Penske and Ganassi maybe having the edge in time spent in the wind tunnel and on the shaker rig, the racing should still be close and entertaining.
Q: Now that Jeff Belskus is the new CEO, is he going to the one who gets the stability back in the series? Or will he be thrown under the bus, like all the rest?
Daniel Bullock
RM: I really thought Randy Bernard was stabilizing things and he pretty much got thrown under the bus by Belskus.
Q: With Belskus now full-time CEO of IndyCar would it be fair to say that we fans are to be expecting looking at the same cars for the next eight years or more since I get the impression he will bow to the owners and cave in on the aero kits?
Gary McDonald
RM: Good question. The owners made it clear they didn’t want them but who’s to say that Honda and GM are forbidden from building them or that they’ve already got a good start?
Q: How many Miles before he gets fired?
Barney Collburn
RM: Depends on which owners he pisses off I guess.
Q: Concerning your last mailbag letter last week from Al, I, too, am of his mindset I am not done with IndyCar, but recent events have definitely dampened my enthusiasm. To IndyCar: YOU had something special going and let’s hope firing your leader does not put a grinding halt to the momentum it’s gained. I became a NASCAR fan in the late 90's after Texas Motor Speedway was built and I started paying attention to the sport, although I remember a time when I was younger when CART was the biggest show around. I was not a motorsports fan at that time but you always watched the Indy 500, then the split came and open wheel seemed to become irrelevant. This past year I watched every IndyCar race, instead of NASCAR, for the first time in 13 or so years I was not interested in following NASCAR at all, partly because IndyCar’s product was so much better, partly because of the new car formula, partly because of Chevy's new involvement. I did not go to a NASCAR race but I went to the IndyCar race (the Texas race with reduced downforce was RE-diculous good), I even went to watch IndyCar test at Texas in May and I know I could not have been the only one in this boat. I really hope the board does not screw up American open-wheel again like they did in the mid 90's because I was really enjoying the product.
Lillie in TX
RM: Randy left it in good shape, at least for 2013 with a good schedule, a couple new venues, doubleheaders and all the TV races all packaged together by network. Of course the Indy 500 and month of May were always bulletproof at one time so who knows what the future holds with this new “vision.”
Q: Hey Robin! I have been having some deep thinking (no grown man should) concerning the state of IndyCar. I am a gearhead but more importantly my daughter and nephew are, too. We went to the 500 last year and had a blast, money well spent. The conversation around the dinner table this year concerns the question: Why should we go? See, we live up here in the Pacific Northwest and Indy is 2,000 miles away. Except for my time in the Air Force I've been to 20 Indy 500's, each time a memorable event. However until the people at 16th and Georgetown grow up and someone with the knowledge and experience to run the series happens, we can’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a questionable product. Sorry, I'm old school and believe that re-examining history and taking what worked in the past and using it in the future could give us a wonderful, potent series. "Not in this economy" is a horse**** excuse if you have a quality product. With the clowns running things that's not going to happen. What person would want to oversee IndyCar with the bosses like the present board? I am not giving up on IndyCar but until the toxic atmosphere goes away I'll stay up here and go to the local races.
A.J. Stettner, Gearhead
RM: The quick answer is that you’ll go because it’s still going to be a great race and atmosphere and it’s what’s hooked you 20 times before. A lot of us want to return to those days of innovation and speed records but that’s not likely going to happen. We’ll have to be content with the best race they put on at 16th & Georgetown.
Q: With what appears to be a successful return of F1 to the US as evidenced by the exciting race at Austin, and F1's CEO Bernie Ecclestone calling for at least two more US-based F1 races, do you see this being yet another cause for concern amongst IndyCar's management? F1 has deeper pockets and ostensibly better management and they appear to be courting potential US sponsors and maybe even American drivers. I have no fear IndyCar drivers will continue to thrill, Chevy and Honda will continue to provide stellar support, but I have to wonder if certain persons can just pretend F1's presence in the US is destined for yet another exit in a couple of years due to the overwhelming success of NASCAR and whatever IndyCar manages to do. COTA is a marvelous track and I can see it being a part of other racing circuits, even IndyCar.
Franklyn Cook
RM: You ask a good question but I’m not sure it can be answered for a couple years. The USGP at IMS was a smash for the first couple years and then it gradually started its descent and F1 in the USA only played twice (Watkins Glen and Long Beach) for an extended period so I’ll remain skeptical that it will always be a hit in Texas.
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