Giebler: no time, no Dallara, no way...but not for lack of talent. (LAT photo) » More Photos

Q: Please please PLEASE disabuse some very ill-informed... shall we say, boneheads, of the notion that Phil Giebler is a no-talent wanker simply because he has wrecked at Indianapolis. I'm sure you have watched Phil's career as he's struggled through the maze of ride-buyers and team politics in Europe and you know the real story. And please let your readers know what an asset Phil would be as a full-time IndyCar driver -- not to mention giving the poor guy more than 20 laps of practice the whole Month of May in an honest-to-God G-Force that's not older than Champ Car, LLC.
-Bob Robertson, Temecula, Calif.

RM: I believe Derek Daly was the finger pointer and he thought Giebler was a rookie (wrong) and in a Dallara (wrong) and I didn't agree with his premise. Sure, it was a last-minute deal (just like Buddy Lazier) but Mark Weida is very competent and so is Phil. I really like his spunk because, as you probably know, he's been knocked down a bunch the past few years but keeps fighting back. The fact he crashed at Indy trying to find speed isn't a reason to cry outrage, it's simply the way Indy has always been. It can be a very cruel place.

Q: Why in the world would you not have a vote for ESPN's Top 25 Drivers? I know you work for SPEED and not ESPN but this is ridiculous. I'm not sure what will be more embarrassing: the final list itself or the list of "experts" that cast the votes.
-Chris, Brownsburg, Ind.

RM: All I know is that I hear Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney aren't included, so that makes ESPN's expert panel a joke. Just like that list.

Q: I like this mailbag format, Robin. It allows you to touch on many more topics than the old online chat. My question is about the "unification." On the whole, do you think that the IndyCar and the Champ Car fans are unified, or is there still a split? Even tough I have found that Tony George and Dave Lewandowski from indycar.com have gone out of their way to be accommodating, many of the IndyCar fans seem to welcome the ChampCar faithful as much as they do athlete's foot.
-Don, Chardon, Ohio

RM: I think there is still a division among fans and there probably always will be. It was a long, costly, ugly war and a lot of passionate people drew lines in the sand. Graham Rahal keeps saying, let it go and let's move on, and hopefully both factions will listen to him. But I totally understand some of the venom.

Q: Do you think the IRL is satisfied with Honda’s marketing efforts for the league? I have yet to see a commercial with Helio or Danica trying to sell me a new Accord! That seems like a lost opportunity on both ends!
-Dan Eversole, St. Louis

RM: I think the IRL is indebted to Honda for saving its bacon and Honda certainly has spent a lot of money promoting races, paying drivers, etc. It also has more control than any engine manufacturer ever has. Its old commercials with Alex Zanardi and his driver's test were good and I imagine Danica will have another one soon (she got a speeding ticket in the last one, didn't she?). That's what IndyCar needs to try and move in on NASCAR.

Q: I can't figure why teams continue to hire foreign drivers over Americans when they know the fans love their American heroes The foreign drivers all seem like great guys but the interest in open-wheel racing in America requires Americans in the cars in my opinion. I'm 19 so Graham Rahal is my guy, and I will always pull for the American drivers. I'm also a big fan of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty's Grand-Am effort, I feel they should have an open-wheel ride. I was disapointed when Mutoh was hired for AGR this year. Will we ever see a series that is majority American again?
-Andrew Wagner, Carrollton, Ill.

RM: You raise some very good points. Danica became an overnight sensation because she was an AMERICAN woman leading the Indy 500. She, Rahal and Marco Andretti must stay in open wheel and carry the flag for the next decade to get IndyCar back on the map. CART was big in the '90s because it was a melting pot of talent from everywhere but it still had a dozen good American drivers. Gurney and Fogarty never got a shot in CART and that was a travesty. I'd hope young guys like Jonathan Bomarito, Dane Cameron and J.R. Hildebrand get a chance in IndyCar down the road. Americans appreciate Mansell, Fittipaldi, Kanaan, Dixon, Wilson, etc. but they like cheering for Americans.