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INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 1.5
Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.
Robin Miller  |  Posted January 05, 2013  
The passing of Indy car driver Salt Walther has generated a number of emails in the first Mailbag of 2013. (Photo: IMS Photo)
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: While it may make you cringe, I will actually say that I was sad to see that Salt Walther had passed. My very first Indy car race was at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1977, where rookie Danny Ongais introduced what would become his "signature" move ... a horrible crash. I was a 10-year-old kid sitting in the really cheap seats (Turn 3), and saw the accident, another car pulled over to tried to help Ongais (who was upside down). That car was driven by Walther. Granted he was not a contender in the race, but to a 10-year-old kid, it was an exhibition of sportsmanship that I have never seen since. However he may have ended up in life (and death), that image has always stuck with me ... that and his flying the "Navy" colors through most of his career. Rest in peace, Salt.

Napalm Nick, Locust Grove, VA

RM: Doesn’t make me cringe, it was a sad end to a sad story. Salt was capable of good things as you pointed out and bad things (assaulting an old IMS PA announcer or stealing a golf cart from Jack Miller) before his life dissolved into countless bad decisions. That breathtaking run in 1990 illustrated that he’d joined the club of Bob Harkey/Jerry Sneva/John Mahler/Rich Vogler – hanging out your ass in desperation to make Indianapolis and earned him more respect than at any time in his career. He was spoiled, brave and flawed but certainly not boring.

Q: I imagine you recall the ads in Racing Pictorial and NSSN that George Walther put in right after Salt's '73 wreck where he was offering $ for any additional footage or still pics of the accident. I think we all figured the point of the quest was that the Walther camp was hoping to have proof that the wreck was caused by someone else other than Salt. IIRC, they contended at the time that someone hit the #77 from behind. Well, in the last year or so some new amateur film of the wreck has surfaced on YouTube and it clearly shows Salt wasn't hit from behind but that he drifted ever so slightly up into Jerry Grant who was up against the wall and had nowhere to go. Check it out- it's amazing footage for an amateur with a hand-held camera. The son of the guy who filmed it posted it on YouTube and I asked him if his dad ever knew about the offer from the Walthers for additional footage and he says he doesn't remember anything about that. Another thing I find amazing about the film is that Mike Mosley is clearly getting a face-full of flaming methanol. This is right after his '71 and '72 fiery wrecks, and then the son of a bitch suits up the very next day to do another 500 ... big cojones for sure! Here's the film:



Steve Casper

RM: Thanks Steve, that’s the best footage I’ve ever seen and confirms what General Grant always maintained. I do remember those ads and even the charges that A.J. had rammed Walther which, clearly, did not happen.

Q: While doing anything to get my off-season Indy car fix, I was doing some reading on the Jigger Award. Are you a member of the AARWBA? If so, why was there not an award given for 2011? Can it be awarded to you guys again for not picking one? I know losing the trophy was a pretty dumb thing to do, but not giving the award would rank up there too. Your thoughts?

Chris Graam, Langhorne, PA

RM: I don’t belong to AARWBA so I have no idea why it wasn’t awarded in 2011 but I talk to Jigger Sirois once a month so I’ll try and find out.

Q: I'm a long time reader but this is my first time writing you. Like many fans, I was disappointed when Randy was let go, but I haven't lost all hope yet. What I liked about Randy is that he seemed to always try to move the sport forward, and you would always here about negotiations with new tracks, manufacturers, tire providers, and trying to push aero kits amongst other things. With the new management, you don't hear practically anything except worn out ideas about a playoff system and lights at the speedway. I'd like to know if the new management is still working for new manufacturers and venues like Randy was.

Tyler, Los Angeles, CA

RM: Randy was unlike most racing CEOs in that he was open and way too honest about what he was working on and I promise you won’t see that with this new regime. Bernard met with Mercedes, Fiat, Ford and Audi on more than one occasion while Phoenix, Michigan, Elkhart Lake and Palm Springs showed interest in IndyCar. I would hope the new management keeps those lines of communication open.

Q: I grew up watching the Indy 500 and my earliest full race memory is my hero AJ winning his fourth Indy. Back in 1990 while sitting in a bar at Western Michigan University, I got the idea to head down and see the race live, invited my Dad, then hit the road a few hours later. We've been to every race since and now have my son, the third generation, hooked as well. That being said, I'd like to throw out an idea in regards to Randy Bernard. No one is going to be able to stop the shoot-yourself-in-the-foot mentality at 16th and Georgetown, much less understand it with his removal. However, the fans have a voice than can not only be heard, but seen at the 2013 Indy 500. I say we, the fans of the race and Mailbag, vote on a T-shirt idea for May. Nothing hostile, as much as I'd like to do so, but something as simple as Thank You Randy (or even TYRB, current management would never figure it out and more than likely wear one in the parade). Your thoughts?

Allen Smith, Muskegon, MI

RM: It’s a nice gesture and you should try to find the guy who sold the I Hate Robin Miller t-shirts and hats in 1996 on Georgetown Road. He might cut you a deal.

Q: I was just reading the latest mailbag where you listed your favorite books on auto racing and I think you left one off. I bought one of the autographed/special editions of Chris Economaki's book when it came out and read it for the third time this fall after he passed. The man was unquestionably the best journalist/media person in the history of motorsport and the myriad stories in his book are priceless to any of our generation and certainly should be interesting to any younger fans. With all that's gone on in IndyCar this past year it was certainly interesting to re-read the last chapter where he outlines his concerns about and hopes for the future of the sport. One very bright and perceptive man.

Bob in Peoria

RM: Dave Argabright did a nice job on that book as well and no media type, or anyone else for that matter, will ever have the clout or influence of Economaki.

Q: I am reading the “Stainless Steel Carrot” as I saw you mention it in one of your responses. Great book so far. Interesting insights; John Morton really called it when he said Jackie Stewart would retire early and Mario would race until he was just too old. I grew up halfway between Charlotte Motor Speedway and Junior Johnson's race shop and the only racing I could get besides NASCAR was Wide World of Sports showing Monaco and a few others and the tape delay of Indy so this book is particularly interesting. The fact I was just staring high school when the book was written let's it bring back some memories of the NASCAR guys going to Indy.

Tom in Waco

RM: Sylvia Wilkinson’s look at Morton’s eclectic career was a fun read and the updates close the chapter on an under-rated racer who got to drive just about everything.
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