The RACER Mailbag, December 18

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. Q: Linus Lundqvist’s chance of a full-time IndyCar seat in 2025 seems slim, but can an Indy 500 one-off be on the cards? Other than that, are you aware of him having had discussions with teams in other categories? I’m thinking IMSA would be a good option to get some track time, in let’s say an LMP2 team. Fabian Blåder MARSHALL PRUETT: As I understand where open seats stand today, Linus has Dale Coyne left as the only place to go. I’ve pointed him to a number of IMSA LMP2 teams, and also suggested pursuing options as one of the bigger IndyCar team’s official test and reserve driver, as we see with teams in F1, to ensure a title contender has a rocket on standby who can also help with simulator work, engine test days, straightline testing, and some of the other less desired duties that veterans often want to skip. I haven’t checked in since our last story went up and don’t know what he’s got. There was an IMSA GTD possibility I heard of a little while ago, but can’t say if that was just for the Rolex 24 or more. Q: In light of Oliver Bearman’s comments about the current Super Formula car (also built by Dallara), could the 2027 IndyCar starting point be better starting from the SF23s? Gordon, Dallas MP: It’s an interesting call that I’ve heard others in the IndyCar paddock mention as well. Only note to add is Dallara’s spec SF chassis is built purely for road racing and lacks all of the added – and significant – design features to keep drivers safe in the event of an oval crash. With Graham Rahal in the series — and any future drivers who are either tall or wide (or tall and wide) — Dallara’s IndyCar tubs need to be larger than anything they’d make for other open-wheel championships. It makes doing something original for IndyCar a natural starting point instead of trying to adapt a design from another client. Q: May I suggest that the design of the next IndyCar chassis be a similar footprint and basic look as the 1979 F1 Ferrari 312, which would be updated with carbon fiber wings, body etc., of each team’s unique design? I think IndyCar should strive to be different from FIA, F1, F2 designs of today’s long snouts, and trick DRS wings. IndyCar needs to be a unique product, to strive to be better than F1. Along with this I suggest that work be done with race engine providers such as Ilmor to reproduce the sound of the V12 engines of 1979 F1 to compliment the new chassis. Sometimes you need to look backwards to move forward. Mark Stadelmann MP: It would be the best-looking/sounding retro-modern open-wheel series in the world, which would be an upgrade to simply being the world’s one and only retro-moderns open-wheel series like it is today. A question, though: Does copying something that already exists, and was retired nearly 50 years ago, qualify as unique? Q: After 25 years, SoCal’s iconic Irwindale Speedway has succumbed to the ever hungry real estate market. On Sunday December 8, the drag strip boasted 250 cars, where racers and fans alike stayed for emotional Final Pass at sunset. As a crew member of this A/FX history run, I’m proud to say thanks to the Speedway along with the countless racers who made it want it was. Denny Valdez MP: A sad development. The first racetrack I remember visiting — Baylands drag strip and figure-8 facility — presently lives under the parking lots and big-box stores at the next exit south from where we live. Too many stories like yours and mine and others who loved going to Track X and are left with nothing more than memories after it was sold and turned into something else. Q: I haven’t seen or heard anything about this but, what will happen to an IndyCar charter if a team who owns a charter can’t come up with enough sponsorship dollars or find a driver with enough money to run a full or partial season? IndyCar has said that they don’t want a revolving door of drivers, so let’s suppose Dale Coyne or Juncos can’t come up with the money to run their two cars – do they have to sell their charters? Can they lease them to another team? How will it work? John MP: I could be wrong, but I believe there’s the equivalent of a ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’ clause in the charter. Like the Leaders Circle contracts, where teams commit to entering a LC-possessing entry for the full season to get the $1 million payout, I’m confident in saying charters have the same full-season requirement. Keep in mind that no team actually owns its charters; those belong to Penske Entertainment, so if a team is unable to field a chartered entry, I’d think Penske would become centrally involved to reclaim the charters if a sale of the charters to an approved buyer could not be completed. No sales are done without Penske’s approval, so in every scenario, the mothership would be involved. An area of interest for me in such a scenario, or if someone simply wants to sell and get out of IndyCar, is how that would play out on the buyer side. We often think of an owner with two cars and two charters selling both to a newcomer, but what about the other two-car teams who might want to expand to three charter entries? If Team X is looking to get out, would a Foyt or a Shank — existing two-car teams — get the first shot at buying one of the two charters before a new entity was considered? Q: The article on the styling of the proposed 2027 IndyCar was interesting. Is a lower weight chassis still a priority for the design team as well? Bob MP: It is. There are a range of options on the table that could bring down the overall weight, but a new and heavier energy recovery system is coming, so it won’t be easy to take a bunch of weight away from the thing.