Cavin: Wake up! This IndyCar season is interesting

Question: First and foremost, everyone is so uptight about this year's competition. Hold on, nine different winners. I know Honda has struggled and the Honda teams were upset. But wait, Honda did not ask for help. They have won three races and have a person in second in the points and the action has been great. Everyone needs to relax, enjoy the racing and tell all your friends who aren't watching to tune in. Graham Rahal will either win Mid-Ohio or crash out trying. (James, Geneva, Ill.)

Answer: Great point. Remember preseason fears that Team Penske might win every race? Instead, its drivers are first, fourth, fifth and 10th in the standings with only three wins combined, and Simon Pagenaud hasn't yet won. Ganassi hasn't dominated, either. Scott Dixon is third in points and Tony Kanaan is ninth. Meanwhile, Rahal is on a mission with a Honda, Josef Newgarden has won two races and easily could have won two others, and Sebastien Bourdais has a pair of wins. Sage Karam has been interesting, Gabby Chaves has been promising, Carlos Munoz has a race win, Marco Andretti is having one of his best seasons, and Luca Filippi has had a better chance to win a race than the driver he's sharing the No. 20 entry with (Ed Carpenter). Plus, there was the dynamite race at Fontana, another outstanding Indianapolis 500, drama in Iowa, and some entertaining road races. Add it up: Interesting stuff! Three races remain, starting with Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. After that it's the Aug. 23 oval at Pocono and the Aug. 30 double-points race at Sonoma.

Question: My observation is there seems to be a lot of interest in American drivers in IndyCar racing. Why don't some of the big teams have more American drivers? (Ray, Grand Ledge, Mich.)

Answer: As with any opening at any company, it's a combination of hiring a person with experience at the right price. In this case, there aren't a lot of U.S. drivers with the experience expected by Ganassi and Penske. At some of the second-tier teams, it's a matter of which driver can best contribute to the funding of the program. So, there are a variety of perspectives. Bottom line: Teams try to land the best driver for the program at the best price.

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Question: With all the excitement, competition among virtually all the teams, the outstanding passing and, of course, the increase in the ratings of the last three ovals, do you think IndyCar will wise up and add more ovals to the schedule? If so, which ovals are good candidates? (John, Marietta, Ga.)

Answer: It's not a case of wising up; it's finding good partners. I don't see a push by any oval track at the moment. Best candidates? IMO, you're looking at Richmond, Phoenix, Gateway, maybe Homestead, and I hope I'm not forgetting one. But as I said, I don't see any ovals being added next year, and I hope the series can keep Fontana and Milwaukee. Right now, that's the biggest priority.

Question: I heard a couple of years ago that Indy Car and Michigan International Speedway were talking. Is it possible IndyCar will return to MIS? (Greg, Plainfield, Ind.)

Answer: I don't see it happening, and I'm not sure IndyCar wants it to happen. But I love the track and its people; I just wish the crowd had been larger that last time IndyCar raced there (2007).

Question: Regarding the poor attendance of the Brickyard: Do you think it ever gets to the point where it is so low that it doesn't make sense to run this race any longer? (Jim, Toledo, Ohio)

Answer: I suppose there's an actual number, but NASCAR's TV package is so lucrative that any track will make a considerable amount of money without selling the first ticket, hot dog or beer. So, as long as the size of the crowd is not embarrassing, the Brickyard 400 will continue. Now, before I get emails about the crowd already being embarrassing, it's not. Look around the NASCAR landscape; heck, the motor sports landscape. Indy still has a nice crowd, it's just small by comparison to the Indianapolis 500. In fact, I'd put the size of the crowd in the top third (or at least the top half) of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series season. IMS just hasn't removed a considerable amount of grandstands as other tracks have, so it looks empty. I'd still put this crowd at 70,000.

Question: IMS looked pretty empty on TV for the 400. How many people were there in your estimate? (Jeff, Coto De Caza, Calif.)

Answer: I estimated 70,000, but I wouldn't be surprised if the number was 60,000 or 80,000. It's so difficult to tell there. Huge place, as you know.

Question: Just a comment relating to Kyle Busch doing his damage to the bricks at the start-finish line at IMS. You wonder why I hate NASCAR? They have no respect after IMS has asked them not to celebrate on the bricks before. The Speedway is sacred to motor sports fans from all over the world. These idiots who do this make me so mad. You would never see an ICS driver disrespect the bricks and the Speedway like this. (Rob, Fountain Hills, Ariz.)

Answer:The bricks are one thing; I don't think most people realize that Jimmie Johnson's 2012 burnout caused asphalt damage that remains today. That was THREE YEARS ago.

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