Cavin: IndyCar's sour grapes and double points

Question: One point you missed on your "thumbs up" at Sonoma: Very classy way the series paid tribute to Justin Wilson. Respectful but not maudlin.

 I'm glad you pointed out the "sour grapes" comments of Juan Montoya and Will Power. It was childish, trying to place the blame for incredibly poor judgment of competing teammates on IndyCar awarding double points at the final race.

I think it was Townsend Bell who made the right call when he pointed out that the Ganassi drivers seemed to be driving to support Dixon while the Penske drivers (as always) seemed to be fighting among themselves.

Mark Miles and Doug Boles have to be pulling their collective hair out. You don't hear NASCAR drivers in post-race interviews saying "The Chase is a gimmick and we all know it." Compare the whining of Montoya and Power with the post-race interview with Graham Rahal, who really did have a reason to complain. Rahal showed class and grace in front of the microphone.

Final note: Just before the first race of the season, I commented that I thought Chevrolet would dominate early in the season because its design was simpler and easier for teams to grasp. It would take Honda teams time to figure out all the moveable parts on its aero kit, but the Honda teams would eventually catch up. From the performance of the Hondas in the last few races, and Ryan Hunter-Reay's comments, I think that is what happened. Chevy may still have the edge in the power department, but the two camps now seem very close on the track. Bodes well for 2016. (Stephen, Indianapolis)

Answer: I don't usually run such long notes, but yours hits several important points. Montoya, Power and the rest of Team Penske needs to be mindful of public comments, especially in light of Mark Miles making such a big deal of negativity following the Auto Club Speedway race in June. On the TV broadcast, team president Tim Cindric seemed to question IndyCar's decision to throw a full-course caution for Luca Filippi's slow-moving car, although he wasn't as critical when I listened to it a second time. I thought the caution was borderline at best, too, but it's the job of the media to question the need for the flag, not a participant's. Then for Montoya and Power to say double points cost them the championship is silly. They each got a massive amount of double points for finishing 1-2 in the Indianapolis 500 (plus all those extra points for Indianapolis 500 qualifying), and everyone knew going into the season how points were going to be allocated. So, that's sour grapes, and it made them and the series look bad. Having said that, there are a lot of us who are against extra points for some events, but that's what IndyCar decided to do this season and it was worth a try. Personally, I hope all races count the same next season, and I'd like to eliminate all the special points for qualifying at Indy. Having said that, if the final race is worth double points I'll understand that it's done to keep more people (teams, drivers, sponsors, fans) engaged all the way to the finish, which is a good thing. As for Ganassi's drivers working well together, I don't know if it was that as much as they did their respective jobs, especially on restarts. Same with the Penske drivers, who were probably OK to win the championship until Power and Montoya made contact. I agree with you on Rahal and the Wilson tributes.

Question: You left out one major thumbs down: The quality of the racing. Had to be the worst of the year. (John, Little Neck, N.Y.)

Answer: I understand your point, but that's not a track that lends itself to spectacular side-by-side racing (circuit is tight without a lot of long straightaways for heavy corner braking). However, there was tremendous drama infused by Montoya running into the back of Power. From that point on the action was plenty interesting. But yes, I agree with your point.

Question: Scott Dixon's team repaired his car back in the garage and sent him back out at Iowa Speedway, I believe, after his rear suspension failed. Did he move up enough to get any more points, which ultimately made the difference in the championship? (Mark, Brownsburg, Ind.)

Answer: Excellent question. I don't remember all the details, but a review of the lap chart shows going to the garage area left him in 19th place with about 70 laps left. The crew did the work, got him back out, some things happened to other drivers, and he finished 18th. So yes, there was a single point that ended up making a difference. Having said that, each driver has several situations in a season that could have gone differently to alter the ultimate outcome. Still, good point you've made here.

Question: Dixie has been everywhere and won it all. Will he consider retirement now while he's on top? (Tom, Lake Forest, Ill.)

Answer: No. He just signed a three-year extension to remain with Ganassi Racing. He figures he'll race until he's 40. He's 35 now.

Question: As a lifelong fan of open-wheel racing, I want to send an email to Mark Miles but can't find his email address. Could you provide that to me? I think IndyCar made three big blunders this year and wanted to voice that to Mr. Miles. (Wayne, Woodland Park, Colo.)

Answer: Your best bet is to send thoughts to me and let me forward or post. Thanks.

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