The RACER Mailbag, October 4

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to [email protected]. Due to the high volume of questions received, we can’t guarantee that every letter will be published, but we’ll answer as many as we can. Published questions may be edited for length and clarity. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will appear the following week.

Q: I know that Roger Penske does not put rookies in his IndyCars, that he and Will Power have been influential in advancing Myles Rowe’s career, and that Foyt has a new alliance with Penske. I love the concept of Myles doing his rookie year driving a Foyt car. It worked for Kyle Kirkwood – any chance that it could happen?

Pete, Tucson

MARSHALL PRUETT: I probably failed to drive the point home hard enough in the story that revealed this Pete, but this is the exact reason why Penske is aligning with Foyt. Having the Foyts ready to run an extra car, on Penske’s behalf, for Myles, is what Penske wants in return — and it would be funded by Penske — for the technical support Foyt’s currently receiving. There’s one other thing that Penske wanted from the relationship, but that’s not for public consumption.

Q: Will fans be able to attend the Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge? I know last year’s testing was for media and IndyCar personnel only.

Martin West

MP: I’m told somewhere between 3000-4000 tickets will be made available for purchase, but let’s wait and see what the final number ends up being when they go up for sale, possibly first to members of the IndyCar Nation fan club.

Q: I have an idea to get the Cleveland race back on the schedule. Since Penske Entertainment has been adding rock and country music concerts to many of the races/events, why can’t we have The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland Grand Prix? Back in the day I attended two Cleveland Grands Prix and it was a great place to watch an IndyCar race. Also, I’m guessing most of our current fan base watched the many races held there back in the CART days. The Hall is right next door to the Burke Airport/racetrack, making it easy for the fans to visit the Hall of Fame and attend the races, and there could be nightly concerts Thursday through Sunday after the on-track activities. Could be a win-win for IndyCar fans and the Hall.

Rick Schneider, Charlotte

MP: I’m in—let’s go!

Q: We loved IndyCar at Texas Motor Speedway, but sadly there’s no stop there in 2024. If you had to choose between going to Mid-Ohio or Barber Motorsports Park, which would be the best place to get a great view of a large portion of the track? That’s what we like about ovals. We live in Pennsylvania, so Mid-Ohio would be a nice drive.

Keith and Lorrie Blaisdell

MP: Barber is clean and flawless, but some sections aren’t as easy to view as you’d like. Mid-Ohio isn’t a match for creature comforts or pristine presentation of its facility, but you can walk everywhere inside and out of the circuit and take it in with the cars seemingly within reach at almost every turn. If you want to be right up close, Mid-O is the way to go. It’s also a popular place for campers, so there’s a lot of friendly folks to meet around the property; Barber is more like a golf course where you come in, enjoy the day, and leave without fellowshipping in the same way as Mid-O or Road America.

Q: Since Penske Entertainment is going to be heavily involved in the promotion of the Milwaukee event, and since the organization performs the same functions for Detroit, how about switching the weekends of the events? That would return Milwaukee to its historical slot on the weekend after the 500, and Detroit would run on Labor Day weekend in a city that is very important to the Penske Corporation.

Mike Fox, Kalamazoo

MP: Let’s make sure the return to Milwaukee works before we start changing dates. Also, Detroit’s rather important for the series and one of its two key partners in a way that Milwaukee isn’t, so bringing the new Indy 500 winner — especially if it’s a Chevy driver — to Motown is an important thing for the series.

Q: Did anyone think RLL BMW would be 38 points out of first place at this point in the IMSA season? How does the team feel about it? They have to be thrilled with their performance given the late start compared to the other manufacturers. I think I need to add that to my calendar to watch. Or if my wife won’t let me, I need to go hunting so I can watch it via my phone in the woods.  “I didn’t see a single critter all day. Weird, I know.”

John

MP: Nobody, including BMW M Team RLL, expected to be in the title hunt after royally pooping the bed to open the season at Daytona. The team’s surge with its BMW M V8 Hybrid has been among the best IMSA stories of the year, but we’ve also seen Porsche surge and while the BMWs are quick, I haven’t seen the kind of sustained speed they’d need to topple their rivals. Nick Yelloly and Connor De Phillippi have been strong all season, but the sister car is ripe for a new driver lineup if the team wants to pose a greater threat to the GTP field.

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