Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Any RACER writer questions will be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We can’t assure that each letter can be revealed, however we are going to reply when potential. Printed questions could also be edited for size and readability. Questions obtained after 3pm ET each Monday will seem the next week.
Q: Romain Grosjean mentioned in an interview, “I am actually excited to find one thing new and possibly put just a little little bit of my sauce on it,” which I discover ironic. I wager he’ll! His crash historical past can’t proceed at Juncos Hollinger Racing, particularly crashing along with his teammate. I may see this journey turning right into a catastrophe earlier than the season is over. Now that he has signed with JHR, will his lawsuit with Andretti cease or proceed?
Dave Wells
Marshall Pruitt: His pursuit of cash he believes he owes Andretti has completely nothing to do along with his signing with JHR, so the authorized battle continues.
My hope for Roman is that we see a return to the relaxed model he had when driving for Dale Coyne, as a result of if JHR’s season goes awry, that will be the tip of his IndyCar run . He is aware of that, so I feel he’ll do it in another way within the new season, which can be good for either side.
Q: I flew to Sebring final week and noticed the No. 30 Mi-Jack Honda turning. Terribly quiet. Are you able to clarify this a bit and counsel who may be pushing this for RLL and what testing is being finished?
TJ Spitzmiller
MP: Judging from the video you shared, the sound is precisely the identical. The distinction is that there are just one or two automobiles on the monitor as an alternative of 20+, which might create numerous noise. Fashionable Indy automobiles aren’t very noisy, so that they did not sound spectacular when listened to on their very own on a check day, however there was no decibel loss in comparison with final season. You are watching Pietro Fittipaldi take his first RLL check.
Q: Andretti International is simply operating three launched automobiles subsequent yr, what is going to occur to Marco? Will dad pull out the fourth automotive now that Honda has leased the fourth engine? Will Marco search for one other crew? Or will Marco not race the five hundred in 2024?
Bruce Taylor
MP: I hope Marco tries the five hundred once more with Andretti International, however I do surprise if this may be his final try.
Q: For my part, the racing season is over and 2024 can’t come quickly sufficient. To remedy my racing fanaticism, I watched some previous documentaries about Le Mans within the Nineteen Sixties. I need to say, pit stops had numerous guidelines that we’d think about unusual right this moment. I’ve seen officers use steel zippers to seal the gasoline filler and filler cap any time they should add gasoline or oil, so if the seal is discovered to be damaged, it is a disqualification. I do know that the automotive has to hold a spare tire, which must be taken out and put again on when making a pit cease. I am unable to think about a Toyota or Corvette carrying a spare tire.
Are you aware if the principles about including fluids throughout pit stops nonetheless apply, and what different bizarre Le Mans guidelines are you aware of that may very well be added to this checklist?
Brandon Kasten
MP: Add fluid as wanted; quick-disconnect couplings permit straightforward addition of fluid. One in every of my favourite guidelines is to go behind the wall and repair the automotive. As soon as it is able to proceed racing, it can’t be pushed into the pit lane after which onto the monitor. The automotive should return to the pits and, even then, can’t proceed; the engine have to be shut down and re-ignited earlier than the race can start.
Q: I watched with curiosity the movie of Rossi, Kanaan and O’Ward driving a classic McLaren in Sonoma. Being a Midwesterner, I am usually not a fan of California racing. Are there any classic occasions in Sonoma? Have been these automobiles introduced in particularly for this occasion? Do they reside completely in the US? Additionally, what tires are you utilizing? Are they trendy racing rubber, trendy classic automotive rubber, or one thing else?
lerrick, illinois
MP: Sure, there may be. That is the fourth pace invitational competitors. Sure they’re. Primarily based within the UK, the automobiles belong to McLaren and are a part of the McLaren Heritage vary. All tires use Avon Tires, a number one provider of contemporary classic street racing tires.
Q: The IndyCar online game journey was doomed from the beginning. To cite your individual phrases, “Whereas the deal in the end fell via, it was predicted by many when it was introduced over two years in the past.” I am not the one one who feels this fashion. Penske Leisure, based mostly on all its expertise, deliberately selected a fully pathetic associate. In your opinion, is there any motive why they aren’t pursuing partnerships which have a greater enterprise mannequin and a great monitor report?
Care to share your greatest recollections of 2023?
Dave M., Milwaukee space
MP: I have been informed by a number of folks that a minimum of one decision-maker on Penske Leisure’s management crew has deep ties to the corporate, which, if true, would clarify how they received themselves into bother.
Favourite recollections from the sphere have been Abel Motorsports and RC Enerson qualifying for the Indy 500; a lot of the groups I labored for have been underdogs, so I loved the likes of Invoice Abel and crew supervisor John Brun With tales like this, they shocked all the stadium and got here into the present whereas a few of the massive, established groups needed to fear about who was going to fail. present.
From a private perspective, my favourite was the brand new digital video initiative I drove with RACER, which introduced CoForce into the household and resulted in one thing new at lots of the occasions we lined.