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Q: As a long-time fan of Indy racing I have to say that the thing I miss the most is the diversity of car and engine types. Quite frankly the current manufacturer configuration: one motor, one chassis and one tire make things kind of boring. There are race fans out there who are also fans of the cars! Not all these cookie-cutter mobiles. Do the current IRL bylaws prohibit different designs or manufacturers, or do the Jim Halls and Dan Gurneys of old simply not exist?
-Stan Takaki, Chicago

RM: Honda welcomes competition but nobody seems to want to go against their deep pockets. Dallara and G-Force (Panoz) were awarded the right to build IRL cars a few years back but only Dallara remains. I'm sure there are some aspiring designers out there and some engine builders as well. They need a new set of rules with an emphasis on controlling costs.

Q: I am so impressed with the way Graham Rahal handles himself in the media and with fans. Marco is improving but still has a certain level of cockiness that is a little off-putting. Do you see Graham being the true "star" in the end because of his personality? Will Marco ever catch up?
-Curious Carrie

RM: I always kid Graham about his true age because there's no way a teenager can be that mature in and out of an Indy car. He is the future of open-wheel racing in North America and so is Marco, whose demeanor is much improved over the past two years. He seems to be making an effort to loosen up around the fans. Their rivalry is what could bring this sport back to the mainstream media.

Q: Which of today’s drivers in Indy cars and other national open-wheel such as USACers are like the driving heroes of the past?
-Ralph, Indianapolis

RM: I have trouble believing any of today's Indy field would be willing to chase midgets and sprints three or four times a week all over the country to make ends meet (along with driving for 40 percent at Indy). The guaranteed money has spoiled this generation, although I think Tony Kanaan could be a "throwback" driver. J.J. Yeley maintained his own sprint car and won races before going to NASCAR, so he's definitely "old school," and Tony Stewart fits the mold.

Q: Will we ever see grassroots open-wheel drivers in Indy Cars again, or is the money and fame of NASCARland too alluring?
-Chris Moses, Speedway Motors, Inc.

RM: Sadly, none of the Indy car owners scout USAC like the NASCAR owners and, consequently, none of the young stars in USAC have any choice except to look South. The fact Tracy Hines and Dave Darland will never turn a lap at Indianapolis is disgraceful, if not an indictment of the system. The only thing the original IRL concept did was get Steve Kinser, Jack Hewitt and Tony Stewart in the Indy 500 but, last time I looked, the only USAC driver at Indy was Ed Carpenter and he's there because of his stepdad.

Q: You have been critical of ESPN/ABC's coverage of the IRL. and I have to admit that they give NASCAR a lot more. But I am hoping that since Champ

Car and the IRL unified, ESPN will give the IRL the respect and coverage it deserves. In your humble opinion and if you had a magic wand, how would you improve the telecast and the coverage that ESPN does for the IRL? Also, would you bring back Paul Page?
-Richard Fox, Tallahassee, Fla.

RM: You can hope all you want but it's not going to happen. ESPN spent too much money to get NASCAR back, so all its efforts are geared to stock cars. I worked on RPM 2Nite for several years and it was great because everybody got a little slice of the pie and I wish SPEED would do something like that show on a nightly basis (I wish Wind Tunnel was still five nights a week). But Indy cars get nothing on SportsCenter unless Danica wins or there's a spectacular crash, CART had the same complaints in its heyday. As for the booth, I would get Tom Sneva, Eddie Cheever and myself and we would entertain you folks (but I'm not sure Eddie could take the verbal sparring). Page would be all right o play traffic cop and bring us coffee.

Q: Is it just me or is the coverage on ABC about as exciting as watching paint dry. Do they not understand that the tradition of Indy is as important as the race itself? This is the 92nd race for crying out loud, are you telling me that they have to rehash the same material everyday? What happened to the old "Legends of the Brickyard" segments or how about showing some old race footage during these rain delays. Please find your way into the booth and kick Marty Reid out! (And he can take that terrible theme music with him.)
-Tom, Denver

RM: I loved those Legends segments and, as I said above, when I was still at ESPN earlier this decade, they allowed me to do several nostalgia pieces about Indy. One of the problems during a rain delay is that Marty and Scott don't go back far enough to recall those good old days. They're nice guys and they try, but give me Uncle Bobby chastising Sam Posey or correcting Paul Page.

Q: I think Bruno Junqueira belongs with one of the top-tier teams. He knows how to run the Indianapolis 500, and he seems relaxed and determined. What do you think of his chances at Indy this year with Dale Coyne Racing?
-James, Greensboro, N.C.

RM: I think you pay attention James. Bruno is a very good oval-track driver, former Indy pole-sitter and knows how to go quick at IMS. But Coyne and the rest of the Champ Car brigade are hopelessly behind with the Dallara, so if he could get a Top 5 it would be like a win.

Q: Do you think there will be many incidents in the 500? A couple of the drivers are quite inexperienced. Also, will the parts shortages cause breakages during the race?
-Ed, Hartford, Conn.

RM: Based on what we've seen so far this month, yes, I expect a lot of carnage. Mix 11 rookies with a three-hour race and no oval-track experience and it could get expensive. The danger of the parts shortage would be the next week at Milwaukee, because if five or six cars get destroyed, it's going to be a panic to try and fix them.