Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will be saved for the following week.
ED’s note: Chris Medland is taking a few days off this week, but we’ve saved the F1 questions for him to answer next week.
Q: When and why did practice sessions become ‘free’ practice? FP1, FP2. etc? How come I don’t see free practice sessions on the event calendars?
Just in case you missed it, a major milestone was reached. After one of your recent articles, the comments section made it all the way to the fourth comment before it turned negative. This beats the old record of three comments before it became negative. Amazing how the ‘fans’ can complain about everything.
DA, Chicago
MARSHALL PRUETT: February 29, 1999. Love yourself more and don’t read the comments.
Q: Now that Malukas has left Foyt, I’m wondering if the technical alliance between Foyt and Penske is still in place? If still in place, is James Schnabel still at Foyt and will he be back on the 14 car? Maybe the engineering shuffles are not complete, with the season so far away. Here’s hoping the 14 car has a top engineer. Maybe that’s Armbrester, however 2025 suggests that Santino benefited more in 2024 from Schnabel than from Armbrester in 2025.
I have a rather negative view on Foyt in 2026 based on the technical relationship no longer being in place and in turn quality engineers leaving, and a new pay driver arriving. It’s a recipe for Foyt to return to the rear of the grid. Add into the mix the rumor of Daly rejoining the team and all that would entail between the drivers, and I see little to be excited about. Here is hoping my imagination is playing tricks on me.
Oliver Wells
MP: I asked Team Penske president Jonathan Diuguid about the continuation of the technical alliance last month and he declined to provide an answer. That doesn’t mean the answer is a no, but if it was a yes, I can’t think of a reason to obscure that fact.
Schnabel and Ferrucci were magic in 2024 and Schnabel had the same effect on Malukas in 2025. I’ve mentioned of late that I expect to see one of Penske’s veteran race engineers being promoted to a higher role – coming off the timing stand – and for Schnabel to step onto that stand as race engineer. Is that with Malukas on the No. 12? With McLaughlin on the No. 3?
Ferrucci really liked the shift to Adam Kolsar as his race engineer when Armbrester was promoted to technical director, so give that some time to develop since Kolesar was new to the role as of June. To your point, without the Penske involvement, yes, the team would go backwards. Let’s hope the technical alliance continues.
Q: Ten years ago I went to my first IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway with my now-husband. My husband’s first race was the inaugural year at the track after getting free tickets from his college buddy. I was hooked as soon as I saw the cars flying around during qualifying, and I’ll never forget seeing how happy our friend Bill was when Ryan Hunter-Reay won the race. Since then we’ve made trips to Road America, St. Louis, Nashville and the 500. While all these events have been special in their own way, I’ll miss our hometown race (we live about 45 minutes from Newton).
Although there was always a decent amount of heat exhaustion, we always had the KOA pool and for many years the racing was fantastic! It has been painful to watch all of the negative comments about the track over the past few years, from hatred of the concert years to the final partial paving of the track. With it being gone, I feel like we have put an elderly dog out of its misery.
When dealing with the pain, it is helpful to remember the good times, right? One of my favorite memories was watching Newgarden destroy the field in 2016 with a plate in his clavicle and a broken hand. What a show! What was your favorite memory of IndyCar at Iowa Speedway?
Liz, Proud Iowa Transplant
MP: I love your perspective here, Liz. You’re right, and the longer you’re a fan, the larger the graveyard gets with beloved events and tracks that left us. Ryan Hunter-Reay owned Iowa and among his victories there, the real thriller was in 2014 when Tony Kanaan dominated most of the race but RHR and a few others rolled the dice by pitting on a late caution and used their new tires to rip through the field. RHR took the lead off of TK with two laps to go, which was wild.
It also cemented the move as the go-to decision to follow at all future short-ovals when faced with a similar situation. Christian Rasmussen’s win last month in Milwaukee was the Iowa 2014 playbook executed to perfection.
Q: I am very encouraged by the cooperation between NASCAR and IndyCar on the Phoenix double header race next March. That got me thinking of other possible doubleheaders that might bolster the IndyCar schedule.
I believe IndyCar could revive the Iowa Speedway race by doing a doubleheader with NASCAR there.
A geographical area IndyCar could improve upon is in the Northeast, where it currently has no presence. Could either Watkins Glen and/or New Hampshire be possible if IndyCar teamed with NASCAR on those weekends?
In your opinion, what was it that FOX did or said that suddenly opened the door to NASCAR’s cooperation with IndyCar?
Kevin P., Los Angeles, CA
MP: FOX is vitally important to NASCAR. Hosts the first 16 events of the season (12 races plus qualifiers and all stars), including the Daytona 500, so it has a strong voice of influence.
I continue to hear the Phoenix mashup won’t heavily intrude on NASCAR’s weekend, and if what I’m told is correct and the Saturday IndyCar race isn’t the feature but the warmup before the Xfinity race (which is renamed the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026), it might have the look and feel of USF Pro 2000 running before Indy NXT before IndyCar. And if that’s the case, IndyCar will be in and out quickly, which will be an interesting experience for a series that isn’t accustomed to being the opening act.
NBC broadcasts the Iowa NASCAR event, so I can’t think of how that would work.
Let’s hope the Phoenix doubleheader is the start of something good. Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Q: Am I wrong to think that David Malukas could end up being Kevin Cogan 2.0 at Penske? No disrespect meant, but they seem to have multiple similarities.
Vincent Michael, Richmond, VA
MP: We might need to go full AJ on the pronunciation of Malooooooooooookas like he did with Coooooooooooooogan.
Davey could be a winless experiment like Cogan at Penske in 1982, but I don’t think the separation between Malukas and Newgarden/McLaughlin will be anything like what was seen between Rick Mears (Penske’s champion with four wins from 11 races) and Cogan (sixth place with one pole and two podiums).
At the same time, with the what-the-hell-was-that season from Newgarden/McLaughlin, I can’t think of a better time to introduce a wildcard like Malukas to possibly disrupt the team and help it find its way out of the wilderness. If this was the late 2010s when Newgarden and Pagenaud and Power were mollywhopping everyone, Malukas would have been eaten alive.
But while the team, which seems like it lost some of its identity in 2025, searches for a new identity with new leadership? Perfect time to try out a streaky new talent and see if he can add something new and dynamic. And if he goes the Coooooooooooooooooogan route, well, Lord, there’s some heavy hitters entering free agency in 2027 and beyond.
Q: As someone who has followed racing for most of my life, and who never got to see him race, why was Dr Jack Miller so bad in the early years of what we now call the NTT IndyCar Series?
Kurt Perleberg
MP: He was a high-achieving mortal in a form of racing where mortals usually aren’t found. I raced for a few years in junior open-wheel and touring cars when I was in my early 20s, and can say with complete confidence that Dr. Jack would destroy me and almost everybody else on the planet in a motor race.
But among purebred racers in Indy Lights and IndyCar, he stood out as human among most who were elite talents. He took part in three Indy 500s. Ponder that one for a moment. For all that Dr. Jack ‘The Racing Dentist’ was lacking, it wasn’t balls.
Also consider that he had a full-time job. And a family. And there was no iRacing. Or simulators. Or PitFit. Take all of the things that today’s mortals use to become the best possible IndyCar drivers with non-stop training and data to review and endless onboards to review and living on the sim with their engineers between races, and it simply didn’t exist in Dr. Jack’s time.
The older I get, the more I appreciate what he was able to achieve. We just didn’t have many like Miller back then, so he was eviscerated by fans, the media, and the other drivers. With the rise of pro-am racing – in sports cars, primarily – today’s Dr. Jacks aren’t totally uncommon to the racing world. But in his era, Miller was a misfit. (ED: If you’d like to hear The Racing Dentist’s own take on his career, check out our interview with him from a few years ago.)
Q: Just hopping on here to say that my wife and our three boys will be making the trip to Arizona in March for the IndyCar race. We’re going to make it a week-long trip. I just bought all five of our tickets and they are very reasonably priced. So for all the fans in the Phoenix area, get your a**es in those seats so that we can keep Phoenix on the schedule! I have no doubt the race will be great with the short oval package. Looking forward to seeing my first race at Phoenix.
Paul, Lake In The Hills, IL
MP: IndyCar’s short-oval races have been some of the best each year, so I can’t wait to see what we have in store at Phoenix. Should have some off-season testing there to set the aero and tire spec to refine the package before race weekend arrives. The event will mark my fifth decade of visiting Phoenix Raceway for IndyCar events. Not sure if that’s cool or depressing…
Q: Couple of questions after the IndyCar 2026 schedule got released.
Will the Mexico race get another shot? What are the odds of it happening in 2027?
Is Iowa definitely dead and gone for IndyCar? Or do you see it coming back, just like it did in 2022?
Reversely, is Phoenix here to stay, this time? How strong is the deal between IndyCar and NASCAR for the shared race weekend at this particular venue? Also, since it will host the second race of the 2026 schedule, have you heard of any test days happening anytime soon?
Is finishing the IndyCar season before the NFL season starts still a requirement? If so, I remember there used to be talks a few years ago about starting the season earlier in the year to avoid having a six-month long offseason. Is this no longer considered? I mean, what is preventing IndyCar from scheduling the St Pete race mid- or even early February and then spread the other races accordingly?
Lastly, could IndyCar consider, in the future, arranging its schedule to try and minimize travel distances between races (and therefore costs, too), like F1 does? If the new 2028 car is going to be more expensive than the current DW12, wouldn’t this be a smart way to have teams save some money for it? This is just an example but let’s have a look at the first five 2026 races: St Pete, Phoenix, Arlington, Barber and Long Beach. Wouldn’t it be theoretically possible to switch Phoenix and Barber?
Xavier
MP: Mexico will get another shot. (There’s a 43.7-percent chance of it happening… how would I know the odds, brother?)
Iowa is dead. (Unless or until a new grocery story chain named Vy-Hee comes along and pays silly money to sponsor the thing.)
Phoenix is here to stay. (For at least one race in 2026. Kinda’ need for the marriage to be consummated before predicting how long the union will last.)
Test days will happen. (Need to ask when.)
Yes, still a requirement. (But not if you want nobody to watch.)
The problem for many years, including 2025, was the first race followed by a long wait for the next. (Which was just solved for 2026 with three straight weekends to open the season, so go back to spreading things out?)
Yes, IndyCar could set its schedule to minimize travel distances. (But NASCAR isn’t changing its Phoenix weekend for this, so yes, but no.)
Also, if IndyCar teams need to save diesel fuel to afford new cars in 2028, the series is doomed. (No, seriously.)
Iowa was fun while it lasted. Travis Hinkle/IMS
Q: 1. Why doesn’t IMSA have local yellows? (I was at Watkins Glen and three hours of the race was FCY).
2. It seems to me that Penske Porsches can’t pass anyone without hitting another car ( ask Grosjean)
3. Does anyone else find ‘Mr Zoomy’ and his hand held pit lane camera bouncing off crew members etc annoying?
David, PA
MP: 1: IMSA does have local yellows. 2: It does seem that way, doesn’t it? 3: Seven people find it annoying, but Mrs. Zoomy loves it.
Q: I just reviewed the article on the new schedule and wonder why IndyCar’s events are not in demand. One of the comments stated that the Indy 500 was the only profitable race on the schedule.
Are weekend events like Long Beach or Road America, both of which draw massive crowds, not profitable? Is that sentiment regarding the series being unable to demand enough to show up, or can the promoters being unable to make a buck?
As much as I hate losing a short oval like Iowa, that was never a venue that sponsors other than local Hy-Vee got excited about. I went to Baltimore for the grand prix there years ago and it felt like Long Beach with a great crowd. I was shocked that event was scrapped.
On a final note, I read some reference that a Washington DC race would check a box off to cover the Northeast. Can anyone read a map anymore? A race in that area would be great, but I find it troubling that IndyCar cannot draw a decent crowd at Watkins Glen, one of our most legendary venues.
Wildman, Missouri
MP: You believe my parents had me, raised me, sent me out into the world to find my way, all with the hope I’d come here and comment on the accuracy of a comment left below an article? Kill me now.
Q: When the 2026 IndyCar schedule came out, there were obviously significant social media comments. One that stuck out to me was several people dogging on Detroit. Now, I openly admit I wasn’t a fan of the first downtown street race. But I’ve since changed my opinion.
Detroit, to me, is an interesting race. It’s a street race, but not like St. Pete or Long Beach. It really seems that for Detroit, the drivers are not racing other drivers as much as they are racing the track. Basically, survive the track, then race others for position when possible. It’s like 50% race the track, 30-40% race other drivers, and 10-20% Mario Kart.
What are the drivers’ feelings on Detroit?
John Balestrieri, Waukesha, WI
MP: That’s a great perspective, John. The drivers I enjoy watching the most tend to thrive there. I’ve loved the town since my first visit in the 1990s. I’ve also spent years living in really rough parts of San Francisco, really nice parts of SF, and in rough/nice parts of Oakland, so I’m comfortable in both environments.
Thankful for those experiences. But that’s not something a lot of IndyCar drivers have experienced, so I understand why some don’t see the charm in Detroit. I mention all of that because one’s feelings about the location can certainly influence one’s view on the race and event. I haven’t heard a bunch of flowery comments from the majority.
Q: Any chance of DRR doing more IndyCar races besides the 500? They always seem to be posting tidbits that make you wonder.
Kasey
MP: Asked DRR a few months ago and there was the familiar expression of interest, but there’s no sensible path to do so as a non-guaranteed entry. With the 27-car grid cap, DRR would need to out-qualify someone to make the race, and that’s damn hard to do without being on track all the time.
Q: With the hoped-for Mexico City race being left off the 2026 schedule, I was wondering if there ever has been consideration given to other locations in Mexico? I’m all for IndyCar expanding its fanbase, but the plan to hold this event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez falls a little flat with me because it’s doing the same thing that F1 does annually, and that NASCAR beat us to the punch on this year. I’d prefer to see IndyCar differentiate itself rather than follow in the wake of other series.
I understand the perks of the AHR circuit – I’m assuming it’s the highest-quality venue in the country and it’s located in the largest population center. I don’t discount the importance of these factors. But are there other legitimate venues that could support an IndyCar race?
I am admittedly unfamiliar with what other options may exist. Pato is from Monterrey, and I believe CART/Champ Car used to do a street race there in the early 2000s. I’m sure the main goal of this isn’t to attract American vacationers, but doing a street circuit in a tourist area like Cancun or Puerto Vallerta might have some appeal. Are there any ovals there with adequate facilities? That’s where I think IndyCar could really introduce itself to a new population as something different.
Tom, Lemont, IL
MP: I’m sure other venues have been discussed, but I’ve only known Mexico City to be the primary focus. Unless there’s a sudden change of tone, IndyCar wants a turnkey event in Mexico, and that’s Autodromo Hermans Rodriguez. It hosts F1, Formula E, NASCAR this year, and needs nothing other than a racing series to show up and race. Every other location requires a lot of heavy lifting, and I don’t see the series pouring itself into making a new and big production somewhere in Mexico on their own.
The Autodromo is like an Airbnb for IndyCar. Step into a lovely rental for three days and two nights in Mexico City, then head home.
Airbnb review: Bit noisy and no private bathrooms, but still highly recommend. Would definitely stay here again, five stars. Zak Mauger/Getty Images
Q: I get the desire to race in Mexico City, with it being the most populous city in Mexico, but has there been any consideration of returning to Monterrey where CART and Champ Car had competed?
For starters, that is Pato’s hometown so the crowd would probably be even more wild, cheering on the hometown boy. But on top of that, it’s something that would be different to simply running on an F1 track where you know you’re likely to see people comparing lap times between IndyCar and F1.
Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA
MP: See above.
Q: I’m not understanding the lack of a Northeast race. If IndyCar can partner with NASCAR (enemy No.1), then why can’t they partner with IMSA at The Glen and have a Saturday race the day before the Six Hour?
And this whole avoiding the NFL thing is a joke. The sporting world doesn’t just stop because the NFL is on. It’s just plain stupid. NASCAR, NHRA, and IMSA continue through October. IndyCar looks like scared little kids on this. Thanks, Boston Consulting.
Derek, Rochester, NY
MP: All the verified data that shows IndyCar gets murdered on TV ratings when it goes up against the NFL… fake news? NASCAR puts up strong-ish numbers because it’s many times more popular than IndyCar. It’s an exception. It has enough fans to lose some to the NFL without taking a big ratings dive. Not so for IndyCar. IMSA gets hammered when it goes against the NFL. Same for the NHRA. If the argument being made is that IndyCar should ignore what’s best for its teams and sponsors and charge into September and October while football owns the airwaves, that’s a great way to harm the series.
We’ve also ignored the fact that FOX devotes its Saturdays to college football and its Sundays to the NFL once we get into September. I’m writing this on a Saturday morning and it was pre-game shows all morning before four or five straight college games that run until 11pm. On big FOX. Similar is happening on Sunday, except it’s all morning and all afternoon before moving to The Simpsons and the rest of the evening’s non-sports programming. But yes, if we ignore the total lack of available weekend space on FOX during football season…
IMSA doesn’t want an IndyCar race on one of its marquee endurance weekends with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Its Michelin Pilot Challenge series is the feature Saturday race.
Q: One thing that tends to grind my gears about racing across the board these days is that we’re constantly looking for the teams and series to find more ways to improve racing, but we rarely see fundamental changes to the tracks themselves outside of re-paving, or the occasional reprofiling of a corner.
With all of the advancements in data and analytics, the teams show up knowing exactly how to navigate each circuit unless it’s a brand new track, or one that hasn’t been used in years.
My question is, outside of the costs, why do we rarely see changes to circuit layouts, especially on tracks that have multiple possible configurations? I understand it’s expensive, but the cars race on the tracks and if the tracks don’t change, it tends to make the racing more predictable. I’m not saying to do this every year, but I think we should be demanding that circuits keep up with the cars to keep things fresh and present new challenges to the teams and drivers. NASCAR seems to be the only major series that tends to lean into this philosophy (COTA short course, Bristol on dirt, etc.).
Would love to get your thoughts on this.
Paul, NYC
MP: You answered your question with the “I understand it’s expensive” acknowledgment.
It’s also worth sharing that tracks don’t dictate to the racing series; if the short course or long course at wherever is going to be used, it’s the series and the track making that call, with the series being the one with the power to veto anything it doesn’t like since an IndyCar or NASCAR or IMSA is the one bringing the product.
Overarching thought here is the tracks, the fields, and the courts are the fixed environments for the cars or athletes to perform. The players and machines are the ones who evolve, which is why predictability—at least in the three series I mentioned—isn’t an issue year after year.
Iowa Speedway, 2024. Team Penske is the dominant force at that track. Scott McLaughlin wins the first race and Will Power wins the second. This year, with the same track, no new paving, etc.? Pato O’Ward wins the first and Alex Palou wins the second. Wild things happen in the two races in a fixed environment.
Q: After the announcement of the IndyCar schedule, Long Beach sent out its yearly email regarding ticket renewals and general sale. Normally, they already have a full rundown of the support series that will be present, but this year it just said, “with support series to be announced shortly.” Seeing as their schedule isn’t posted yet, are we finally getting an NXT return to Long Beach?
Jacob, Southern California
MP: Heard it might be 2027.
Q: Time for an off-season question for you. Thinking about the new car and the goal of shedding weight, increasing horsepower, while remaining safe. Would there be any thought of removing the in-car pneumatic jack system from the car? That system, although probably a low CG system, cannot be that light – 20-30lbs maybe? Most single-seater series just use manual jacks fore and aft to raise the car. Pitstops might be slower, but it would be the same for everyone. Thoughts?
Andy R., Detroit
MP: Interesting thought. The pneumatic cylinders aren’t heavy so there isn’t much of a weight savings. The problem here is pit stops. F1 cars pit solo, with tons of space front and rear for manual jacks to be used. IndyCar usually has multiple cars, if not most of the field, all pitting at the same time, nose to tail, with barely enough room to get in and out without long lever-based manual jacks in the way. I know the jack operators in F1 angle themselves back and out of the way, but they have more open space to step back into and also don’t have a pit wall blocking them. For now, it’s much easier to just stick with what works.
Q: One of the items tossed out from the May Penske debacle was the establishment of an independent sanctioning body. Maybe I’ve missed it, but I haven’t heard anything more on this since. Any updates that you’re aware of?
Larry Miller, Key West
MP: Just what I’ve written about on RACER.com.
Q: Why in the world does Rinus announce he is leaving DCR unless he has secured a landing spot?
Gary from the road
MP: Yes.
Q: Simple question: Why don’t you have an app? Or am I an idiot?
Tom
MARK GLENDENNING: If you mean, ‘why doesn’t RACER.com have an app’, the answer is that we do – sort of. The RACER+ app (available here) is primarily intended for streaming RACER Network content, but it does take a news feed from RACER.com. At the moment that content is only accessible in a fairly rudimentary form, but there are ongoing discussions about building out a more fully-featured news element.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, 23 September, 2014
Q: Remember when Senna was undecided whether to drive for McLaren in 1992 and he tested one of Penske’s Indy cars at Firebird? Just speculating, how do you think Senna would have done at Indy?
Late Apex
ROBIN MILLER: Emerson Fittipaldi was trying to convince him to come race in CART, at least the Indy 500, and he seemed keen on the idea after the test. Driving for Penske with his talent, I think he’d have done just fine. Can you imagine having Mansell, Senna and Fittipaldi at Indy that May?
