The RACER Mailbag, October 29

Sportpluse
42 Min Read

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers may be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday will likely be saved for the next week.

Q: Is VeeKay’s seat at JHR the improve from Coyne everybody was saying hr was headed to earlier than the dominos began to fall?

Steve, Ohio

MARSHALL PRUETT: It isn’t, which is why the JHR group went after VeeKay to try to use his abilities to remodel the group into a greater model of itself. He was mightily spectacular at Dale Coyne Racing and that clearly caught the eye of Brad Hollinger, who co-owns and funds JHR, and Ricardo Juncos, who was integral in creating VeeKay on the open-wheel ladder previous to Hollinger’s arrival in 2021.

It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how VeeKay fares at JHR with out savant race engineer/technical director Michael Cannon, who was the opposite half of the equation at Coyne. Congrats to Michael, BTW, on being inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Corridor of Fame.

Q: Thanks for answering final week’s query from Jerry in Houston about drivers’ pay.  Particularly, how paying drivers receives a commission whereas paying to be in a seat.

A number of years in the past I helped fund an up-and-coming driver in what was Professional 2000 on the time. I’ve realized rather a lot in regards to the behind the scenes going-ons of which you detailed in your well-described reply. I’m not likely asking a query right here, however reiterating your reply and mentioning the ignorance or naïvety (not insulting anybody, simply mentioning the final lack of information) of many adverse on-line chats stating some drivers are solely there due to “daddy’s” or household cash.

Whereas this cash half is true for some, (and these drivers are actually gifted), others should endure all of the eventualities you describe. For the lower than super-wealthy households, they typically get to some extent that if the child is nice sufficient, they’ve already mortgaged the home climbing the ladder. If mother and father and child handle to search out the wanted cash to proceed, and one or all of the conditions you describe occur to them, the implications will typically have a big impact in your season, as your group is pressured to chop again, you’re out scrambling to search out new funding to maintain the seat, and many others.  Add to this that drivers not within the very rich household class are sometimes on the smaller groups in better want of assets than the large groups.

Backside line is it makes it that a lot more durable to be aggressive in a extremely aggressive collection the place 0.010 of a second matter, and something above mid-pack, fifteenth or higher, (above the paid driver group) is a aim. Actuality in the long run is cash/assets, long run, is what builds a number one group. The smaller youthful groups are preventing the more durable battle not solely on race day, however annually to keep up, and attempt to construct their packages.  For sure whereas each different group, large and small, are doing precisely the identical factor. The extra you study, the deeper your appreciation.

Lastly, thanks RACER for Robin’s Last Phrase.  All of us want a “slap within the face”, (or two), at times!

Zenith

MP: As I used to be arising the racing ladder as a mechanic, I largely labored with paying drivers, which is the norm. We love the children firing up by the USF Championships and Indy NXT, however 99 % of them are driving vehicles paid for by family and friends by private wealth, the proceeds from a enterprise their mother and father or pals of the household personal, or another technique devised to pay groups the lots of of hundreds of {dollars} wanted on the USF2000 degree to greater than 1,000,000 per season required for NXT.

Solely within the rarest of eventualities will you discover a child in a pre-IndyCar seat that’s funded by the group, which suggests the ‘daddy’s cash’ tag is or has been worn in some unspecified time in the future by nearly each driver we all know right now in IndyCar, NASCAR, F1, and so forth. The distinction right here, although, within the IndyCar instance, is when a few of these paying drivers graduate by shopping for a seat, run behind the sphere, and turn into seen as little greater than a strolling paycheck.

They maintain worth in an financial sense, and due to them, groups which are unskilled at discovering full sponsorship to fund all of their vehicles can depend on the partial or full budgets dropped at them by a paying driver. These groups are capable of make use of 12-20 people who find themselves hooked up to that driver’s entry, and that’s usually an important contribution introduced by the vast majority of paying drivers.

Dozens of individuals feed their households and put their youngsters by college on account of the earnings delivered by these drivers. I used to be in that state of affairs as soon as once I was a crew member in IndyCar, and it kills the soul, but in addition, hopefully, evokes you to do higher, goal larger, or look outdoors of the game for one thing extra fulfilling.

However there’s no denying how unusual and ill-fitting it’s to take a look at 27 particular person IndyCar entries – name them groups – and think about that not less than two or three of these 27 drivers are solely within the collection due to their skill to purchase their approach into the sport. And by that, I imply they might be out of the collection instantly if their funding disappeared.

Might you think about two or three of the 32 NFL groups placing quarterbacks on the sphere who’re solely there as a result of they pay thousands and thousands to play the sport? It’s an absurd idea in stick-and-ball sports activities, however not in skilled racing. It’s nothing new right here, after all, however, as IndyCar had in 2025, when the three drivers who completed on the backside of the championship had been paying drivers, I can perceive why some people aren’t loving the look.

This could possibly be you! (For a value). Joe Skibinski/Penske Leisure

Q: It has been written that Will Energy remains to be beneath contract to Penske till January. What are his restrictions and limitations concerning any kind of involvement and interplay with the Andretti group?

Can he have any interplay together with his new group?

Steve, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

MP: Since Will hasn’t despatched me his Penske contract to evaluation, I can solely go off of generalisms. He’s acquired a non-compete clause, which suggests he can’t interact with a brand new employer till that agreed-upon window of exclusivity to Penske expires. No planning with Andretti. No simulator time or testing with Andretti/Honda. No information or setup critiques with Andretti. No hanging out at Andretti’s store and fellowshipping with the crew, and many others. All of these issues are forbidden, by contract, till the non-compete expires.

However all of these issues are adhered to on the honour system, proper? After I’ve learn of earlier non-competes, the query I all the time ask is how a group with a driver, engineer, or supervisor beneath a non-compete would have the ability to monitor the communications of the one who’s meant to be immobilized throughout the blackout interval.

In a world the place VPNs and burner telephones are commonplace, how precisely would Staff X have the ability to forestall Staff Y from doing all-day Zooms with Driver Z in the event that they made an effort to go incognito? We all know racing groups and producers spend cash yearly on what could be frivolously known as espionage; at a minimal, they rent individuals to {photograph} and movie one another’s vehicles to match and distinction chassis setup selections with their very own vehicles.

Would it not be so unusual to recommend that since groups put money into spying on one another on the observe, some may additionally put money into countermeasures to cover and shield their communications away from the observe? These are the issues I ponder about throughout the offseason…

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Q: Is there something to be learn into the liveries on vehicles at assessments? For instance, Malukas testing a generically Penske-wrapped No.12 automotive with no sponsors, or Palou testing an all-black No.10 automotive? I’ll say Palou was sporting his conventional DHL racesuit. Do the liveries utilized in testing inform us something?

Joey, FL 

MP: Nothing in any respect. That is the time of yr the place groups are looking for sponsors, planning with those they’ve, and dealing by which sponsors will likely be on the vehicles at particular occasions in 2026. Since virtually not one of the 27 entries have a single, yearlong sponsor, it’s uncommon to see the vehicles throughout post-season assessments with the identical liveries and logos that had been simply on show to shut the championship.  

Q: Why do you assume Conor Daly has struggled to keep up a gradual journey all through his profession?  He clearly has a number of expertise and all the time appears to be a menace at Indy but right here he’s once more – a confirmed driver at age 33 and not using a journey.

In your opinion, what’s/are the rationale(s)?

Wanting again, what’s/are the previous alternatives (if any) which, on reflection, ought to’ve/may’ve/would possibly’ve delivered him higher profession stability?

Tom, Lake Forest

MP: He didn’t have the most effective status earlier in his profession and was higher identified for having late-night enjoyable than obsessively dwelling within the health club or on the store like a lot of his contemporaries. Whether or not it was or wasn’t totally correct or deserved is immaterial; that was the notion of Daly that caught with too many group house owners, and it positively impacted his choices to drive for the most effective groups.

On observe, he’s pushed largely for midfield outfits and that comes with midfield outcomes, with exception for the ovals. He’s seen as an oval specialist, which is inaccurate when it comes to his full complement of abilities, however ovals are the place his greatest outcomes have been generated in order that’s one other status he’s obtained. Identical with JR Hildebrand.

Conor and JR made their names previous to IndyCar with excellent street racing output, however what stood out for each upon reaching IndyCar was on the ovals they usually had been duly relegated to ‘oval specialist’ standing and noticed their alternatives shrink.

The JHR group was sufficiently unhealthy on the 11 roads and streets final season, however featured on the six ovals with Conor. I’ve seen Daly impress on IndyCar street and streets previously, and his JHR predecessor Romain Grosjean did effectively on quite a lot of roads and streets in 2024, in order the group underwent a pair of driver modifications and vital modifications to its engineering group, I wasn’t shocked to see JHR take a step again in that class. Inserting the group’s underwhelming street/avenue output on Conor could be foolish.

VeeKay could have the identical group, now in its second season collectively, to work with and they need to be stronger throughout the board after making use of what they realized from the hits and misses of 2025.  

The Snake Pit is enjoyable and all, however Daly would inform you the actual celebration occurs within the race automotive. Aaron Skillman/Penske Leisure

Q: With increasingly more IndyCar groups changing into formally concerned in Indy NXT subsequent season, with the latest information of AJ Foyt and Ed Carpenter Racing saying packages/group affiliations for 2026, along with Andretti’s, Ganassi’s and (presumably) Juncos Hollinger’s already current participation within the collection, what are the possibilities this can enhance the chance of a attainable return within the Month of Could schedule for the Freedom 100 race?

It was all the time such a fan favourite and had offered a number of the most fun finishes in IMS historical past – it will be nice to have this flagship race reinstated.

Giuseppe, London, UK

MP: Zero %. Roger Penske deleted the Freedom 100 resulting from fears of driver harm, and the danger of any such accidents casting a pall over the Indy 500. Except his future successor modifications Penske Leisure’s stance on the matter, it is gone for good.  

Q: Did I miss one thing? It looks like the one one who has mentioned Sting Ray Robb is driving for JHR subsequent yr is his supervisor, however individuals discuss in regards to the seat prefer it’s positively stuffed. Has there been affirmation from anybody else, or is it simply him attempting to will it into existence for his consumer?

Glenn in Houston

MP: In keeping with his supervisor Pieter Rossi in a textual content from September, SRR is “locked in” for 2026 and his contract “was all the time a two-year deal.” And I don’t doubt it.

In a follow-up name, Rossi mentioned there are not any efficiency clauses within the contract and they’re updated on their funds to the group. He mentioned with these two issues in thoughts, there’s no breach or different mechanism for JHR to make use of to half methods.

However what I do query, and have questioned for months (which impressed Rossi’s outreach) was whether or not the group wished to proceed with SRR or search some type of amicable cut up. SRR’s aspect has been taking part in offense (or protection, relying on the way you have a look at it) to verify all people is aware of he’s acquired a deal for 2026. And what has JHR mentioned? It has been persistently silent on the matter. 

JHR shifted its enterprise mannequin for 2025 to take paying drivers for the primary time in IndyCar, and I’ve heard there is a want to return to the previous mannequin in hiring two elite professionals, therefore the query about making a change.

Except I missed it, the social media feedback from SRR about being excited for 12 months 2 at JHR had no likes, feedback, or shares from the group. Normally, if a driver says or does something associated to their group on social media, the group interacts and co-signs on social media. In the event that they don’t, it’s odd.

Additionally, with the latest confirming of Rinus VeeKay as JHR’s “lead driver” (their phrases), there was no point out of SRR within the launch. It’s a two-car group, and if SRR’s “locked in,” there could be each purpose to say so within the launch, to notice that the group’s lineup is full, to get a quote from the brand new driver saying he’s excited to work with the present driver, from the present driver welcoming the brand new driver, and so forth. Normal stuff. And in the event that they don’t, it’s odd.

As effectively, if SRR’s within the second automotive, there could be no must explicitly state that VeeKay is the “lead driver.” That’s painfully apparent, proper? SRR’s three seasons in IndyCar have include championship finishes of twenty third, twentieth, and twenty fifth. In these three seasons, he was six spots behind David Malukas at Coyne, 11 spots behind Santino Ferrucci at Foyt, and 7 spots behind Conor Daly at JHR. VeeKay, at Coyne in 2025, was 11 spots forward of SRR. These are the information.

So why would JHR record its lead driver as Rinus when not even SRR could be confused about the place he ranks within the pecking order? Yet one more oddity to course of.

After which there was a quote from JHR’s group principal within the Rinus launch, which appeared to recommend extra modifications are on the way in which: “Rinus will likely be a key a part of a refreshed driver lineup that displays our ambitions and long-term imaginative and prescient. We’re working arduous to assemble the correct mix of expertise to raise our competitiveness, and we’re assured that Rinus will play a central function in that progress.”

If one thing is easy and simple, you’d anticipate it to be easy and simple. If Rinus and SRR are driving collectively, that’s a simple factor to state. When there’s no point out of SRR, and VeeKay is positioned as ‘a key a part of a refreshed driver lineup,’ and listed because the ‘lead driver,’ my mind needs to untangle the message behind no matter isn’t being mentioned.

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Subsequent, IndyCar held a Zoom press convention with VeeKay proper after the announcement and in it, which the collection managed (as a substitute of the group controlling the messaging like within the press launch), he was requested about SRR as his teammate.

‘Q. You are going to be clearly becoming a member of a brand new group with a brand new teammate in Sting Ray Robb. Are you able to discuss in regards to the relationship in your teammate and the way necessary that’s to you coming to a brand new group?

RINUS VEEKAY: “Yeah, I’ve identified Sting Ray for some time. He is an amazing man. I’ve heard no unhealthy tales about him. I’ve by no means raced with him in vehicles, I feel, however no, he is an amazing man. Yeah, I’ve all the time loved seeing him round.”’

I learn that 3 times and right here’s what I realized: He’s know him. He’s an amazing man. Heard nothing unhealthy. Hasn’t raced with him. He’s an amazing man. At all times enjoys seeing him.

If you could find something there that’s near “Can’t wait to get began on 2026 with him,” or, “I’ll be leaning on him to study some issues in regards to the group,” or a dozen different solutions would that point out “He’ll be my teammate,” please level it out among the many non-answer solutions.

And if we had been to finally study of a change in marital standing between JHR and SRR, I’ll consider the newest examples the place it occurred between contract-wielding drivers and their groups. 

Zach Veach, who introduced Gainbridge to Andretti International, had a legitimate multi-year contract however the group wished to maneuver on late in 2020 and ended their time collectively earlier than the contract ran its course by inserting James Hinchcliffe into the automotive. Veach accepted the buyout phrases and mentioned farewell to IndyCar.

Jack Harvey had a two-year cope with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing that ran by 2023, however following a disastrous 2022 season and a 2023 that didn’t enhance, they cut up after 14 of 17 races. He agreed to the phrases and has completed Indy 500 offers and joined FOX Sports activities as a broadcaster.

Regardless of having an iron-clad contract, if a group needs to cease working with you, you may struggle it, and certain win in court docket, however at what value to your future? I wouldn’t faux to know what all went down between Benjamin Pedersen and the Foyt group, however his arrival in 2023 was hailed as a multi-year engagement by the group however he acquired the boot on the finish of the season, which made approach for Robb to take his place in 2024. Pedersen sued Foyt and hasn’t been seen in an IndyCar since.

SRR’s been to and departed Coyne. He’s been to and departed Foyt. If JHR does wish to make a change, do you try to delay the inevitable and pressure the second yr of the contract, go authorized and run the danger of closing each different door in IndyCar, or search an early exit payout and switch the web page in direction of LMP2?  

So, perhaps SRR will certainly be again and race subsequent to Rinus. Till the group says in any other case, I’ll ignore the eccentricities and go together with Rossi’s “locked in” report.

You will positively perhaps see Robb subsequent yr. Joe Skibinski/Penske Leisure

Q: I do know it’s the low season, however is not just a little odd that Andretti International has not up to date its IndyCar driver part to incorporate Will Energy? Exhausting to promote new Will Energy swag when he has but to be added to their web site. 

Mike, Avon, IN

MP: Brother, that is the wealthiest group within the collection. Its proprietor does issues like purchase the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion so as to add it to his portfolio of different main sports activities groups just like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cadillac F1 and so forth. They offer zero poops in regards to the pennies Will Energy swag will ship. Additionally, since he’s signed to begin work for the group a number of months from now, and he’s at present beneath Penske’s umbrella, there’s no rush to do something formal with Energy till the divorce is full.

Q: For me, F1 can usually be extra entertaining between the races than throughout the precise occasions. I like Telenovela (Spanish for cleaning soap opera). Christian Horner, Flavio, Toto and Zak Brown have all preserve this season attention-grabbing, however nothing has piqued my curiosity greater than watching McLaren race with out assigning a primary driver.

Being accountant, I simply put collectively a spreadsheet displaying the factors up to now, by race. After Canada Piastri had a 22 level lead. Over the next 4 races McLaren went 1-2, with Norris profitable three of the 4, however solely by a slim margin distinction between P1 and P2, and whereas each had substantial leads over P3.

Had Piastri been assigned primary standing by then he would have 21 extra factors, and I consider he could be the world champion at this level – or not less than have a a lot bigger lead for Max to beat.

If Max wins out, together with the dash races and quickest laps, he’ll be world champion.

So, what the hell is happening at McLaren?  How mad is Oscar and the way silly does Zak really feel?  It is basic math, Zak and one thing nobody ever needed to inform Enzo.

Tom Patrick, Baja California

CHRIS MEDLAND: I recognize this query got here in earlier than the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix and Lando Norris’ dominant win, however when it comes to the worldwide image that was a race weekend that noticed Max Verstappen go from 40 factors away from the championship result in 36 factors, so it nonetheless seems a legitimate one.

I’m firmly within the camp of praising McLaren and Zak Brown for its method, as a result of he has two drivers who’re so carefully matched that I feel it will be vastly unfair to both of them to stop them from going for the title when it’s been so shut all season.

If one had pulled comfortably clear at this level and it was a one-on-one struggle with Max, then sure, I’d agree that the lead driver ought to be backed. However what we’re getting is a courageous name to allow them to preserve preventing it out to show they’re a worthy champion, even amid the menace from Verstappen.

To me, that’s pure racing, giving the drivers the equipment however telling them to go and earn it. The most recent twist offers Norris a marginal benefit, however I feel Piastri proved earlier this season simply how good he’s and is clearly able to hitting again in Brazil.

One apart, too – there are not any factors for quickest laps anymore, so if Max wins all 4 grands prix and the 2 Sprints, that also received’t be sufficient to overtake the deficit he has to both McLaren driver if the identical driver finishes second every time (and even third on a few events).

Chatting with Piastri’s group, they know there’s a protracted option to go on this title race they usually’re not mad. Each McLaren drivers know that if they’re to turn into champion this season, they may have actually deserved it.

Q: Is that true that you must pay a subscription to see F1 races starting in 2026?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

CM: Sure, however then when you view your cable value to obtain ESPN channels as a subscription, that’s additionally all the time been the case.

There are winners and losers for subscribers both approach, relying on the way you seen F1 earlier than. When you solely watched on ESPN, you then’re going to must pay for a brand new service and subscribe to Apple TV. When you had been an F1 TV subscriber, you then’re going to be in an analogous place as earlier than.

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F1 TV will solely be accessible through Apple TV, however the premium bundle will likely be utterly included with a typical Apple TV subscription. When you used to pay for F1 TV Premium, you then’re really saving cash subsequent yr by getting it by Apple TV as a substitute, however when you had F1 TV Professional, then it’s barely dearer.

I’m hoping Apple will produce its personal shoulder programming – and ideally personal protection finally – to offer the viewers right here within the States one thing that’s bespoke and totally tailor-made to you, as I feel that can assist justify the fee. However because it stands, the plans for 2026’s protection have but to be confirmed.

Q: Why does Sky Sports activities F1 make use of Danica Patrick? Cannot they discover a former F1 driver that has extra expertise as an F1 pundit than Danica? Or has extra insider details about F1 than her?

Jerry, Houston

CM: It is a robust one for me to reply, Jerry, as a result of I don’t get to look at Sky’s protection as I’m working throughout a race weekend (and generally rivaling it!). However they do have loads of former F1 driver pundits except for Danica – Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg, for instance – and there simply isn’t an enormous pool of top-level single-seater feminine drivers to assist in giving a wider vary of views.

Whether or not you’re a fan of Danica’s punditry or not, it’s arduous to argue towards her document as one of the crucial profitable girls to race on the highest degree within the U.S. in recent times, and he or she does convey an American perspective to the protection.

One reader is done-ica with Danica. Kym Illman/Getty Photographs

Q: What occurs to the winner-autographed champagne bottle after the race?

LBKTOM

CM: The winner will get to maintain the jeroboam themselves, however they’re requested in the event that they wish to dedicate it to anybody once they signal it. For instance, Oscar Piastri devoted one to his sister and one to his granddad earlier this yr, so it could possibly make for a fairly cool present to a member of the family of pal.

Q: Are you able to make a prediction for the highest three within the drivers’ and two-four within the constructors’?

Will, Indy

CM: I can, however that doesn’t imply I’ll be proper! I’m going to stay with my pre-season prediction and go together with Max Verstappen profitable the title from Lando Norris with Oscar Piastri in third, and for the constructors’ I’ll again Ferrari to simply beat Mercedes to second place, with Pink Bull fourth.

The truth that Pink Bull is in that struggle with simply Max is exceptional to be sincere, however I feel the shortage of sturdy factors from the second automotive will value it.

Q: Concerning the response to David’s query final evening week in regards to the dash format, wouldn’t or not it’s higher to have a compressed format on a Friday for the dash – 30 min follow, single lap qualifying and dash race all within the afternoon?

It ensures there’s aggressive motion every day, and could possibly be branded as ‘who will get up to the mark quickest’. We worth the likes of Max and Alonso who’re on it immediately moderately than the drivers that want the information to dial themselves in.

Talking of sprints, is there any dialogue on shelving the partially reversed grid sprints in F2 and F3? We’ve had them for 20 years now in F2/GP2, they usually’ve added nothing however random and unremarkable winners. Like my F1 suggestion, they may set a dash race grid by the primary flying laps in qualifying?

Paul, Glasgow, Scotland

CM: That’s fairly a cool answer Paul, though one-lap qualifying really takes a very long time when you’re giving every automotive the observe to themselves. It will be a protracted day for groups and mechanics, nevertheless it could possibly be enjoyable to attempt to do a brief early follow session after which Dash qualifying and the Dash all in someday, after which have a full hour’s follow on Saturday earlier than qualifying (like a traditional Saturday of FP3 and qualifying), although.

I can’t say I’ve heard any dialogue on that entrance in relation to altering the reverse grid format at junior ranges. You’ve acquired to do not forget that the precedence for these championships is creating abilities for the longer term, and the argument for reverse grids is that they’re seen as a approach of enhancing race craft by having the drivers that qualify on the entrance beginning one race within the pack.

Q: We hear often that Honda is sniffing round NASCAR, and I’m within the dialog in regards to the engines they might theoretically run.

I heard the suggestion they wish to run a turbo V6, which appears a ghastly concept. NASCAR is among the final bastions of the rowdy straight-pipe atmo combustion engine. Dropping that appears unlikely.

Supercars have proven that discovering parity between even such comparable engines as a DOHC and a pushrod V8 is a nightmarish can of political worms. Can’t think about balancing a V6 and a V8 would find yourself something aside from a lose/lose for NASCAR. 

Deep down, Honda is an organization that likes to construct a rowdy, straight-pipe atmo racing engine. I wish to entertain the concept they may construct a brand-new pushrod v8 for the duty. Isn’t that successfully what Toyota did?

Possibly I’m dreaming.

B, NZ

MARK GLENDENNING: I spent the previous weekend round some senior Honda personnel and requested about this. They clearly weren’t inclined to reply definitively, however the vibe I acquired was that Honda has a well-developed 2.4L twin-turbo V6 engine in IMSA that may each pace up the timeline and decrease the prices if it did resolve to go to NASCAR. So if I had been pressured to make a guess on it, that’s the place I’d be leaning.

And also you’re right that they love the identical issues about racing that the remainder of us do, however when asking themselves whether or not to decide to a selected path in racing, in addition they must consider less-exciting stuff like value, ROI, relevance, synergy with its different packages and a number of different issues. On that foundation, I can’t think about an iron block V8 being a precedence for them.

Discovering parity between the totally different engines may certainly be a headache for NASCAR – however maybe much less so if different producers noticed Honda as cue to go in an analogous route…

As to the problem of whether or not Honda goes into NASCAR in any respect, their reply stays the identical because it has been for the previous few months once they’re requested about this, or their future in IndyCar: “We might not be doing our jobs if we didn’t think about all the motorsport choices in North America. That course of is ongoing, and after we’re able to announce one thing, we are going to let . No resolution has been made but.”

THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, 30 October, 2013

Q: It all the time amazes me once I hear individuals say that Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy did not obtain something worthy of reward once they had been dominating Champ Automobile. It is all the time attention-grabbing to listen to individuals say they received as a result of the competitors wasn’t adequate. But those self same individuals will say that Junqueira, Wilson, Servia et al are nice drivers who deserve a greater journey. Right me if I am flawed, however weren’t these the blokes that Bourdais and Tracy had been dominating?

Doug Mayer

ROBIN MILLER: The racing was good on the entrance, though Newman/Haas and Forsythe had been clearly the category of the sphere, nevertheless it simply wasn’t very deep previous these 5-6 drivers you talked about ” plus AJ Allmendinger and a rookie named Will Energy. Actually not like right now or CART within the ’90s.

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