Welcome to the Robin Miller Mailbag as presented by Honda Racing / HPD. You can follow the Santa Clarita, California-based company at: hpd.honda.com and on social media at @HondaRacing_HPD and https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD.

Your questions for Robin should continue to be sent to millersmailbag@racer.com We cannot guarantee we’ll publish all your questions and answers, but Robin will reply to you. And if you have a question about the technology side of racing, Robin will pass these on to Marshall Pruett and he will also answer here.

Q: I'm psyched about the announcement that Portland is rejoining the schedule. It's been too long since IndyCar has been in the north-west, and knowing what I know about the local political scene in Calgary, I don't think a Calgary IndyCar race would have ever taken off. I can't wait to see an IndyCar race in Portland. I haven't seen a race in person since the show left Vancouver. Despite being a die-hard, I just couldn't get an affordable flight to the great Midwest venues, and Sonoma is boring. (Glad you reported Gateway is being considered to end the season in 2019). I'm hoping the promotion is great and that PIR garners some of the great fan base I recall it enjoying in the glory days of CART. My Dad and I will be there!

Trevor Bohay, Kamloops, BC, Canada

RM: Consider this: when Vancouver had its heyday in CART, it drew massive crowds. Ditto for Edmonton when Champ Car started going there. Portland's first several years were gangbusters with the Rose Festival and G.I. Joe's before it fell into the open-wheel malaise. I think Calgary is still in play for the future, and I wouldn't underestimate what it could start drawing if given a date. That area of the country has always been open-wheel friendly.

Q: Michael Printup and corporate greed had a lot to do with killing the IndyCar race at Watkins Glen. The 2005-2010 camping on the infield for IndyCar was $50. By 2016-2017 they wanted $300 for those same infield spots. I brought this to your attention in the summer of 2016, without much response. Fans who had emptied there wallets a few weeks before at the NASCAR race certainly could not afford to pay those exuberant prices to go again.

Paul, Eden NY

RM: I'm not going to get into all the financial aspects, but Printup didn't have anything to do with killing the IndyCar race. The Glen stepped in to fill a void when Boston bailed in 2016 and basically it rented the track to IndyCar for a couple of years, so I'm not sure who sat the prices. Printup knew it was probably too close to the Cup race to have a chance at success, but Labor Day wasn't his idea. Actually he and IndyCar would have liked to try another weekend earlier in the season and do a doubleheader with sports cars, but that idea got shot down from what I understand.

Q: Another year and another race leaves us. What do us east-coasters have to do to get a race? We had Baltimore, we lost it. We have Pocono...for now. We had the Glen. Lost it. Got it back again, and lost it again. We had Boston for a few months. Talk of Providence, but nothing. Do we just not have the fans that want to go? Is it the wrong tracks? The wrong dates? IndyCar should be racing at the Glen. Period. I can't believe that with a short schedule as it is, a good date can't be found.

Bill Peer, NYC

RM: Absolutely The Glen belongs on IndyCar's schedule because it puts on a helluva show and it's one of the great road courses in the world. But it has to have a proper date (not July 4th or Labor Day) in which both sides can invest in something that might have a chance to make it. The doubleheader with sports cars in a no-brainer and could likely draw a decent crowd, but I think it's pretty obvious The Glen has become a NASCAR stronghold. As for the other races, Baltimore had great crowds and lost millions, Boston and Providence were non-starters, and I hope Pocono can find an audience again some day.

Q: I read frequently that IndyCar wants to have a race at COTA but doesn't want to antagonize Eddie Gossage (TMS). Who runs IndyCar - Eddie Gossage or Mark Miles? Perhaps Mark should read Trump's "The Art of the Deal." Last week's Mailbag suggested that the owner of Watkins Glen was trying to get a different date other than July 4 or Labor Day but IndyCar said no dates were available. Baloney. If IndyCar was really interested, a date could be found.

Jerry, Houston

RM: Back in the day, Eddie had some major leverage because he drew IndyCar's second-largest crowd and both races were well-attended when it was packaged with the NASCAR season ticket. But despite some damn good racing during the past decade, crowds continued to shrink, and Texas really has no more drawing power than Iowa. A road race at COTA in the spring or fall likely wouldn't hurt Eddie's event, but Miles has remained loyal – and I'm not real sure COTA has much interest in IndyCar anyway. As for your Glen reference, there wasn't anything doable for 2018 except possibly that sports car weekend, but hopefully it can be revisited soon because it would be good for IMSA, IndyCar and The Glen.

Q: This is most likely beating a dead horse, but after arguably one of best IndyCar races ever, and the best one I've ever personally witnessed, why the heck can't we get IndyCar back to SoCal? My Dad and I are inaugural Speedway Club, members and one NASCAR race per year is tough to justify for continuing our membership. After 20 years we have seriously considered dropping the Speedway and moving to Phoenix International Raceway. However, this year's race was at PIR was dismal. The Silver Crowns put on a much better show. Will the new body kit make a difference for the narrow mile? Will someone actually get passed for the lead other than during a pit stop? I'd love to see some good racing, but it seems as if we have to go to Gateway or Indianapolis!

Jerry Humble

RM: OK, this is the final response about Fontana for 2017 and beyond. There is never going to be another IndyCar race unless it can be held on a Saturday night in October. IndyCar doesn't want to run that late on the west coast and Fontana knows it's toast in June, July or August. I love Dave Allen and his folks but it is dead unless IndyCar opts to try for another time (and the spring won't work because of NASCAR). You are spot-on about Phoenix but I really think the new aero kits are going to make the race worth watching this time – but you can't blame people like yourself for being skeptical after those first two stinkers. The encouraging thing, besides the testing, is that PIR boss Bryan Sperber is trying to make it work. He just needs a racy product to promote.

Q: Just read the piece on RACER.com where Mark Miles is stating Mexico City may still be a possibility for 2018. Good news, but it got me thinking once again of Brazil. Whatever happened there? Travel? Money? Track? I remember watching all the races at Sao Paulo (ABOVE) and thought there was a good turnout each year. Besides the failed attempt at Autodromo Nelson Piquet a few years ago, I haven't heard anything about attempts to return. I always thought anywhere south of the border is starving for IndyCar (especially South America), but I'm wondering if Mexico City is the obvious choice because of Champ Car/CART history there?

Chris Stum, Elizabethtown, PA

RM: Mexico City would only be good news if Perez and Gutierez have rides and a nice crowd turns out. But crowds don't always equal success, and Brazil is a perfect example. The sponsor lost a fortune and the race folded: the expense of building a track and staging an event is staggering, and very few temporary venues are properly funded. I was in Brazil when Emerson Fittipaldi was racing in CART and attendance was decent, but the race lost millions.

Q. The 2018 IndyCar schedule is finally out and I am happy to see the Portland addition, and sad about the removal of The Glen. The Glen was fast and produced an exciting race to watch. I think part of the problem with The Glen 2017 IndyCar date is that it was a month after the NASCAR event. This is way too close if you are trying to make the IndyCar race successful. I also believe The Glen had a sports car event right after the IndyCar event. How close together can tracks have major events and expect them to be successful?

Also, I know you have heard this before, but Sonoma is a snoozer. I am not sure why it's a follow-the-leader type track. Do you think Tony Cotman and company can fix the track layout? Maybe they need to run it in reverse, used the drag strip or something to make the racing better? I am crossing my fingers the new body kit will help. Unfortunately the NASCAR events are boring too, so I am not hoping for much improvement. What's the hope of the finale event being moved to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca? Now that is an entertaining race track, and would align perfectly with Road to Indy series. The Alex Zanardi pass is burned into my memories.

Robert in Miami

RM: Absolutely the NASCAR date was too close, but there was nothing IndyCar or The Glen could do until 2019, and the weekend desired would require another player that's evidently not interested. Sonoma and Laguna are one and the same – old tracks built for smaller cars and slower speeds 60-70 years ago on a narrow track. And the race Zanardi stole from Bryan Herta wasn't anything special – just that bodacious pass in the Corkscrew. Give $20 million to Cotman and turn him loose, but why would Sonoma change anything? Like The Glen, it gets a huge crowd for stock cars and draws peanuts for IndyCar.

Q: We obviously know that the Detroit Grand Prix weekend will be the weekend after the Indy 500 again. However, I've heard a rumor that Belle Isle might go back to being a single race in 2018 rather than a double-header. Also, the Grand Prix's website is a bit cagey about confirming two races rather than one for 2018. If Detroit does go back down to one, ABC have to choose another race to fill its five. Could we assume it would take back Texas and air it on ABC in prime time like it did before Detroit became a double-header weekend, or would it choose a different race altogether?

Joe Mendiola, Akron, OH

RM: It calls for two races (Saturday and Sunday) on June 2-3 at Detroit, televised by ABC, end of story. And, no, we don't want ABC picking any other races.

Q: Even though I was never more than 70 minutes away, I made the mistake of never seeing IndyCar at Milwaukee. Since it seems like there is a better chance of me winning the Indy 500 than IndyCar returning to Milwaukee, could you see IndyCar returning to Chicagoland? Also, in an attempt to gather a TV audience, would IndyCar ever consider a weeknight race the day after the MLB All-Star game? Other than the ESPYs, there isn't much to compete with on that day?

Bob in Wisconsin

RM: A quick word about chances at Chicagoland, Kansas, Kentucky, Atlanta, Pikes Peak, Charlotte, Nazareth, Richmond and Fontana: NO. Kevin Lee of NBCSN has been banging the drum for a weeknight race during baseball's All-Star break and we all love it, but finding the proper outlet is the key.

Q: So Chip Ganassi's leading candidate to partner Scott Dixon next year is making his long-overdue F1 debut with Scuderia Toro Rosso. He is being evaluated, along with Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly, for a seat next year. If Brendon impresses the team enough to earn a 2018 drive, Chip has to find someone else. Who else is on his shortlist for drivers next year? Is the car fully funded, or will NTT Data be committed to Dixon's car?

Steve in Redding, CA

RM: A straight answer from RACER's intrepid F1 man Chris Medland:

"So based on what I've heard and seen so far, Hartley's return is very much a last-minute one and doesn't suggest a long-term deal is imminent. Gasly is almost certain to take one of next year's seats and Kvyat is still young enough to hold on for another season if he ups his game in Austin.

"The real question is what happens after this weekend, because Hartley has no clashes with WEC, and Gasly is expected to return in Mexico. If Hartley gets a later run-out in place of Kvyat at one of the remaining races, then Chip may need to start looking around (depending on any pre-existing contract). However, based on the speed this has all moved at, I imagine Toro Rosso's list of potential candidates is now more than just the three above. I guess in a nutshell, I wouldn't call Hartley's chances of a full-time seat 'high' just yet."

Chip has no short list to my knowledge (other than Felix Rosenqvist, who isn't available for 2018) and the No.10 car is the NTT Data car from what I've been told, so Dixie still needs a sponsor for No.9.

Q: I guess I can be considered a part of the younger generation of IndyCar fans. I've grown up around IndyCar, and at 20 years of age I'm blessed to say I've attended 17 Indy 500s. It goes without saying that the Indy 500 is rightfully the biggest event on the calendar, arguably in motorsport.

With that being said, I have always wondered why IndyCar runs 500-mile races at other tracks outside of Indianapolis? In my opinion, it takes away from the thrills and uniqueness of winning the Indy 500. It used to be that if you heard a race was 500 miles, you knew they were talking about Indy. Now, it seems like every oval the series goes to the race is 500 miles. I would prefer to go back to the race lengths that were in place at ovals like Milwaukee or Kentucky, where they were 225 or 300 miles, respectively. Thoughts?

Bille from Wisconsin

RM: There have been some 500 kilometer races throughout the years,but only Michigan, Ontario, Fontana and Pocono have been actual 500 milers. And it all started in 1970 when Ontario was built to IMS specs and then Pocono was added, and suddenly USAC had a legitimate Triple Crown. But the problem was that it never paid squat, so it really didn't mean much other than prestige (and Al Unser was the only winner of it, in 1978). There should only be one today because 21-22 cars at Pocono for 500 miles is not enough.

Q: Does the impending confirmation of Wickens at SPM for the No.7 seat all but confirm Daly being back with Foyt in 2018? Is that really up in the air, or are they just waiting for him to get back from The Amazing Race? How about updates on the ECR No.20 Road/street seat? Who is looking good for that seat right now? Last, what are your predictions for Juncos, Shank, Harding, Dreyer-Reinbold and Carlin being on the grid for more than the Indy 500 in 2018? Who makes it, and with how many cars?

Ryan Ward, San Jose, CA

RM: Not at all. The No.14 car is the last domino and I have no idea whether A.J. is keeping Daly, Munoz, both of them to split the ride, or hiring somebody new like Sage Karam. No updates on No.20 but Marshall just posted a story about an engineering change for Ed. Carlin and Harding will likely field one full-time car, and everybody else needs help.

Q: Aloha Robin. I am perplexed as to why you keep mentioning that IndyCar teams are showing interest in Sage Karam. Did nobody see his "performance" this year at Virginia International Raceway? It seems like for the last two years he only gets mentioned for crashes and running away from fights.

Todd M.

RM: I hear all this criticism of Karam for being too reckless, too aggressive, too dangerous and I just shake my head. Does anyone not remember when Johnny Rutherford spent a decade learning his craft and was referred to a "Wreckaford?" Do you know how mad Ruby, Branson and Foyt used to get with a young Mario? Back then, drivers got opportunities for being brave, taking chances and even crashing if they were moving forward. Do people forget Karam's teenage charge at Indy from the back to the front twice at Indy in 2014? Or his podium at Iowa? Does he make mistakes? Sure. Does he have 20 races under his belt? No. Does he make people watch and grow the younger fan base? I sure think so. He doesn't belong in sports cars, he's a young open-wheel guy with plenty of potential and I think Ed Carpenter or A.J. Foyt would snap him up in a heartbeat. Glad you pay attention, thanks Todd.

Q: Crazy idea, but why not add another rumor to silly season? With Graham Rahal getting involved with Penske for endurance events, I think more could develop from it. I see an entry with JPM's name on it in a partnership between Penske and Rahal, powered by Honda, and sponsored by Acura. What do you think? Also I think it's safe to say that we should start crowdfunding for Sage. Everyone seems to want him on the grid.

Ben Neal, Noblesville, IN

RM: I think The Captain enjoys having his own team, but I am glad Rahal is on it and I think if Team Penske would have stayed running four full-time Indy cars that Graham had a shot at a seat. A GoFundMe Page for Karam sounds reasonable. I'm in for a grand.

Q: The questions about Helio's chances as a one-off at Indy and the Wood Brothers' pit crewing in the 60s raise an interesting scenario for any one-off effort. Although money doesn't grow on trees, it doesn't seem like a lot would have to be spent (compared to the total month of May budget) to recruit, train, and repeatedly practice some promising talent, say recent college athletes who haven't yet landed a job. Get an old car to practice on, and run practice in a parking lot. Run some more pit practices on practice days to get them acclimated to the real pit, the speed of the car coming in, etc. A couple of regular crew members who know their way around the car could be suited up and serve as back-up to go over the wall if a stop required more than the usual fuel, tires, and turn of the wing adjustments. The advantage would be the pit team could practice hours a day just on pit stops without any concern about other team duties. Thoughts?

Kevin Eads

RM: Possibly for an under-financed team, but not for The Captain. He'll have Jonathan Diuguid calling the shots and Helio's old IndyCar crew serving the car at Indianapolis.