IndyCar

Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Preview

Can Rossi repeat at Mid-Ohio?
Can Rossi repeat at Mid-Ohio?

Pole sitter Alexander Rossi turned in a dominant performance to win last year's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. It was the fourth career win and second of 2018 for the driver of the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda. Robert Wickens made it a Honda 1-2 bringing the No. 6 Lucas Oil SPM entry home 12.2 seconds behind Rossi. Team Penske’s Will Power was the lead Chevy coming home third. Will Rossi repeat in 2019?

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Fast Facts

Race weekend: Friday, July 26 – Sunday, July 28

Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a 13-turn, a 2.258-mile road course in Lexington, Ohio

Race distance: 90 laps / 203.22 miles

Entry List: Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (PDF)

Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.

Firestone tire allotment: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race.

Twitter: @Mid_Ohio, @IndyCar, #Honda200, #INDYCAR

Event website: http://www.midohio.com/

INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2018 race winner: Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda)

2018 NTT P1 Award winner: Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda), 1:04.6802, 125.677 mph

Qualifying record: Simon Pagenaud, 1:03.8700, 127.271 mph, July 30, 2016

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]NBC/NBCSN telecasts: Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 27, NBCSN (live); Race, 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 28, NBC (live); Kevin Lee is the lead announcer for the NBC broadcasts this weekend alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy. Pit reporters are Jon Beekhuis, Dillon Welch and Robin Miller.

Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Anders Krohn. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers with Dave Furst, Rob Howden and Michael Young reporting from the pits. All NTT IndyCar Series races are broadcast live on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 219, XM 202, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. Live coverage of NTT IndyCar Series qualifying is available on Sirius 219, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

NBC Sports Gold livestreaming: All NTT IndyCar Series practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Friday, July 26

11:20 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. – NTT IndyCar Series practice #1, NBC Sports Gold (live) 3:15 – 4 p.m. – NTT IndyCar Series practice #2, NBC Sports Gold (live)

Saturday, July 27

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. – NTT IndyCar Series practice #3, NBC Sports Gold (live)

2:35 p.m. – Qualifying for the Verizon P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), NBCSN (2:30 p.m. live)

Sunday, July 28

Noon – 12:30 p.m. – NTT IndyCar Series warmup, NBC Sports Gold (live) 3:22 p.m. – Driver introductions

3:58 p.m. – Command to start engines

4:05 p.m. – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (90 laps/203.22 miles), NBC (live)

Entry List

Count – Driver – Car, Team, Engine
1 – Josef Newgarden – #2, Team Penske, Chevrolet
2 – Matheus Leist – #4, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
3 – James Hinchcliffe – #5, Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda
4 – Marcus Ericsson – #7, Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda
5 – Scott Dixon – #9, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
6 – Felix Rosenqvist – #10, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
7 – Will Power – #12, Team Penske, Chevrolet
8 – Tony Kanaan – #14, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
9 – Graham Rahal – #15, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
10 – Sebastien Bourdais – #18, DCR with Vasser-Sullivan, Honda
11 – Santino Ferrucci – #19, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
12 – Ed Jones – #20, Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa, Chevrolet
13 – Spencer Pigot – #21, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
14 – Simon Pagenaud – #22, Team Penske, Chevrolet
15 – Zach Veach – #26, Andretti Autosport, Honda
16 – Alexander Rossi – #27, Andretti Autosport, Honda
17 – Ryan Hunter-Reay – #28, Andretti Autosport, Honda
18 – Takuma Sato – #30, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
19 – RC Enerson – #31, Carlin, Chevrolet
20 – Max Chilton – #59, Carlin, Chevrolet
21 – Jack Harvey – #60, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
22 – Colton Herta – #88, Harding Steinbrenner Racing, Honda
23 – Marco Andretti – #98, Andretti Herta Autosport, Honda

Race notes:

  • There have been six different winners in 12 NTT IndyCar Series races in 2019: Josef Newgarden (Streets of Petersburg, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1, Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway), Colton Herta (Circuit of The Americas), Takuma Sato (Barber Motorsports Park), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach and Road America), Simon Pagenaud (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval and Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2). The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
  • There have been seven different NTT P1 Award winners in Will Power (Streets of St. Petersburg and Circuit of The Americas), Takuma Sato (Barber Motorsports Park and Texas Motor Speedway), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1), Felix Rosenqvist (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course) Simon Pagenaud (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval, Streets of Toronto and Iowa Speedway), Josef Newgarden (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2) and Colton Herta (Road America) have won poles in 2019. The record for most pole winners in a season is 12 set in the 1999 CART season.
  • The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be the 35th Indy car race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Alexander Rossi won the race in 2018. Johnny Rutherford won the first Indy car race at Mid-Ohio in 1980.
  • The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be the 10th race on a road/street course in The first eight races were won by Josef Newgarden (Streets of St. Petersburg and Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1), Colton Herta (Circuit of The Americas), Takuma Sato (Barber Motorsports Park), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach and Road America), Simon Pagenaud (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2).
  • Scott Dixon is the winningest Indy car driver at Mid-Ohio with five victories (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014). Emerson Fittipaldi won at Mid-Ohio three times, while Michael Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Teo Fabi, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser and Alex Zanardi all won at Mid-Ohio twice. Past winners Dixon, Graham Rahal (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Alexander Rossi (2018) are entered this year.
  • Will Power and Michael Andretti have each won three pole positions at Mid-Ohio. Power won the pole in 2010, 2012 and Mid-Ohio pole winners entered in this year’s race are Power, Scott Dixon (2011 and 2015), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2013), Sébastien Bourdais (2014), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Alexander Rossi (2018).
  • Twelve drivers have won the race from the pole – Mario Andretti (1984), Bobby Rahal (1985), Roberto Guerrero (1987), Teo Fabi (1989), Michael Andretti (1990 and 1991), Al Unser (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Patrick Carpentier (2002), Paul Tracy (2003), Scott Dixon (2011), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Alexander Rossi (2018).
  • Nineteen drivers entered in the event have competed in past Indy car races at Mid-Ohio. Tony Kanaan (17) has the most starts at Mid-Ohio among the entered Ten drivers have led laps at the track (Scott Dixon 223, Will Power 113, Josef Newgarden 78, Alexander Rossi 66, Sebastien Bourdais 38, Simon Pagenaud 37, Ryan Hunter-Reay 33, James Hinchcliffe 30, Graham Rahal 26 and Kanaan 13).
  • Chip Ganassi Racing has won 10 times at Mid-Ohio, including seven of the 12 races sanctioned by INDYCAR at the Ganassi’s winning drivers are Alex Zanardi (1996 and 1997), Juan Pablo Montoya (1999), Scott Dixon (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014), Dario Franchitti (2010) and Charlie Kimball (2013).
  • Team Penske has nine wins at the track with Emerson Fittipaldi (1992 and 1993), Al Unser (1994 and 1995), Helio Castroneves (2000 and 2001), Ryan Briscoe (2008), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Josef Newgarden (2017).
  • Scott Dixon has finished in the top five in 10 of his 14 races at Mid-Ohio, including five wins between 2007 and 2014 … James Hinchcliffe has three top-five finishes in seven career starts at Mid-Ohio … Will Power has finished in the top five in seven of his 10 starts at Mid-Ohio … Simon Pagenaud has finished on the podium four times in his previous eight
  • Rookies Marcus Ericsson, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist will race an NTT IndyCar Series car at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time this RC Enerson, who made his series debut at the track in 2016 is also entered and is classified as a rookie.
  • Tony Kanaan seeks to start his 313th consecutive race this weekend, which would extend his Indy car record streak that began on June 2001 at Kanaan is second all time in career starts after making his 370th start at Road America on June 23. Mario Andretti holds the record with 407.
  • Scott Dixon has made 253 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the second-

longest streak in Indy car racing. Marco Andretti has made 229 consecutive starts, which is the third-longest streak in Indy car racing.

  • Scott Dixon, the longest-tenured driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, is third on the all-time Indy car victory list with 45 Sebastien Bourdais is sixth on the all-time list with 37 wins and Will Power is tied with Bobby Unser for seventh on the all-time list with 35 wins.

HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO PRE-EVENT QUOTES:

Can Newgarden extend his points lead?
Can Newgarden extend his points lead?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet): “There is a lot of momentum on the side the No. 2 PPG Chevrolet team right now, but we need to focus on this weekend. I’m definitely a fan of road courses like Mid-Ohio, especially because of all of the fans that show up there. There’s always a really great crowd that gets us all really pumped up for the race. Mid-Ohio is a place we’ve had some success at including a win a couple of years ago – which was the last time we raced the PPG livery there. We’re hoping it brings us luck again."

MATHEUS LEIST (No. 4 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet): “Mid-Ohio is a fun track. We had a test there a couple of weeks ago and I feel like we made some improvements with the car, which is a good sign considering we struggled there last year. I’m looking forward to doing a great race, we need some good results yet this season, so we’ll go for it."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): "I think everyone at Arrow SPM is excited to get to Mid-Ohio. Coming off a few strong events and knowing the team was on the podium there last year gives us hope we can repeat and be quick off the trucks. It’s a beautiful track that is a lot of fun to race in an Indy car, so really looking forward to it."

MARCUS ERICSSON (No. 7 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): “I’m really looking forward to getting to Mid-Ohio. It looks like a beautiful track with nice, sweeping high-speed corners, some technical parts and a lot of elevation changes. It doesn’t look easy, but I did a day in the simulator and that felt really good, so I’m looking forward to trying out the real thing. Also for us, coming from the last two weekends in Toronto and Iowa, we had a lot of pace in the No. 7 Arrow SPM car but didn’t have the results to show for it for different reasons. I think we’re all very eager to put together a full weekend and get a great result out of it because we feel we have it in us. I’ll be working hard to make it a good one."

Scott Dixon is always strong at Mid-Ohio
Scott Dixon is always strong at Mid-Ohio

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): “Mid-Ohio is a place that we as a team have always felt that all of our cars have a shot at winning, and there aren’t many tracks out there where your confidence level is that high as a team. It’s a track that really feels like home to me. I’ve said over the years that it’s a rhythm track, and it’s very technical. You have to get a lot of things right to go to victory lane there. We need a big finish for the championship with five to go starting this weekend in the PNC Bank car. Mid-Ohio would be a great place to start a run of strong results."

FELIX ROSENQVIST (No. 10 Clover Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): “This is the track where I sort of got my introduction to the team I guess you could say. I’ve tested (at Mid-Ohio) a few times in Scott’s car over the years before coming to INDYCAR full time. It’s a track I’m familiar with and one I think we should be able to compete at and get a good result. The INDYCAR Rookie of the Year race is tight and we want to continue to lead that. Starting toward the front at Mid-Ohio is key for the race as well with track position, so qualifying is very important this weekend. I’m looking forward to getting going. The team has won here almost 15 times between the INDYCAR and IMSA programs over the years, so they know how to get it done around this place."

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “It’s no secret that we’ve had a tough season, but we’re not letting it bother us and are just letting it push us to be better. I’m a big fan of road courses so I feel like we have a good shot at doing really well this weekend. The Verizon Chevy team has worked hard on the car we’re bringing to Mid-Ohio and I feel like we will be able to finally have some luck on our side."

TONY KANAAN (No. 14 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet): “Mid-Ohio is always a fun racetrack. It’s a very challenging track. We’re coming from a pretty good race result this past weekend (at Iowa) so the team’s morale is up. We had a good test at Mid-Ohio a couple of weeks ago so I feel extremely confident we can have another good weekend. I’m looking forward to it."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda): “Mid-Ohio has always been extremely special for me, it’s my hometown race! There is great fan support which is probably the best part of it for me. I grew up going there and it is really one of the races that made me fall in love with Indy car racing. I have been very fortunate to win it in 2015, which is probably my best memory ever in racing. I hope this year with Fifth Third Bank on the car – another Ohio company – that we can get it done again. Road course racing has been up and down for our team this year. Barber and Road America were very good but there have been other tracks that we did struggle. I have a lot of confidence about Mid-Ohio. The home track always gives you that little bit extra that you don’t know you have. We’ve done well there before and I feel like we’re going to have a good weekend. I remember everything about going the Mid-Ohio as a kid. I started to go there when I was little. I caused a lot of trouble around that racetrack and I even had to miss the race one year because I got in trouble. It’s just a great place. Saying ‘Daddy and gentlemen start your engines’ with my siblings was a cool moment and he finished on the podium in his last home race which was cool (started 16th and finished 3rd). I hope we can go back and have some more success of our own. We’ve had some great runs over the last handful of years and hopefully, we can this year as well."

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 18 SealMaster Honda): “I’m looking forward to racing at Mid-Ohio again. I have shown a lot of pace in the last few years, including a pole in 2014 and in this year's IMSA race. It’s a circuit I enjoy very much with some elevation changes and a great flow of curves that spreads from slow to very fast speeds. Results haven’t been great other than a podium in 2014, but following last year's showing in the SealMaster Honda No. 18, overcoming a start at the back of the field to finish sixth in an all green race, it would feel awesome to get the result we are capable of."

SANTINO FERRUCCI (No. 19 Cly-Del Manufacturing Honda): “It’s nice to be going to Mid-Ohio this weekend. It’s a track I know and one I’ve raced well at, getting multiple podiums back when I first started racing cars in 2013. I’m happy to be going back. The track at Mid-Ohio is super fun to drive and it has a lot of rhythm to it. It’s always a pleasure. The racing there is really good and there’s a fair amount of strategy as well. I think the team has had a good package there, so hopefully, we can finish out these three races in a row with a good result."

ED JONES (No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet): “Mid-Ohio should be a very good track for us. We had a test day there which we have not had for the other races, so hopefully, that will give us a bit of an advantage. We didn’t have the end result we wanted in Toronto, but we still had a few high points to the weekend including making the Firestone Fast Six. Qualifying seems to be quite a strength of ours this year, so hopefully, we can build on that speed to improve our race pace for Mid- Ohio."

SPENCER PIGOT (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “Everyone at Ed Carpenter Racing is really looking forward to Mid-Ohio. It’s a very challenging track, but we had an encouraging test there a few weeks ago. We’ve been competitive at road courses so far this year, so hopefully, that is something we can continue this weekend. We are coming off a really strong race at Iowa Speedway, so it is nice to have a bit of momentum on our side going into this one."

SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet): “I’m super excited about Mid-Ohio. We’ve got five races left and we’re right in the mix of it. Chevy has done a tremendous job lately giving us a bit more horsepower, so I feel really in the game. We tested there awhile back, and the car was good. We’re going to do everything we can to catch Josef (Newgarden) and plan to make the Menards Chevy shine in Mid-Ohio. I can’t wait for the weekend to come."

ZACH VEACH (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda): “Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite times of the year. With it being a home race for us, there’s always a ton of support at the track from my fellow Buckeyes. We had good speed there last year and with the momentum from Iowa, we’re hoping to work our way up front in the Gainbridge car."

ALEXANDER ROSSI (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda): “Mid-Ohio is one of the best races on the schedule and I can’t wait to get back. The vibe from the fans is always amazing and we will draw energy from them as we look to repeat on the success of last year and go into the summer break with a win."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): “Mid-Ohio is certainly one of my favorite racetracks on the INDYCAR calendar with a passionate fanbase. We’ve been on the podium here in the past, but have yet to find that top step for the DHL team. We’re focused on a strong weekend all around, and when it comes to race day, we have to execute."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 30 Mi-Jack / Panasonic Honda): “Mid-Ohio is a thrilling event. It’s a great track and a Honda venue so having it as a home race for our team is extra motivation. Don’t get me wrong, we always give 100 percent wherever we go, but this event has something extra for our team. You get to see more of the Rahal family and get more people cheering for us which is always a good feeling. We always seem to have good speed at Mid-Ohio and I’m looking forward to it. In 2019, we have had good speed on road courses in general. We haven’t tested at Mid-Ohio physically, but we are confident that we can bring a very competitive car. We have done a lot of studies as well as have spent time on the simulator and that has produced some good results for all other road courses, so hopefully, the car we will bring to Mid-Ohio will be very competitive. Graham (Rahal) and I will certainly be very motivated and give 100 percent. Sometimes before the Mid-Ohio race, we visit the Honda plant or see the employees at the track, and it is always nice. On race weekend, Mid-Ohio will be packed with very enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans. Particularly for road racing. I don’t know the percentage, but we see a lot of employees from Honda and a lot from the Japanese community as well. They come with their family and there are a lot of small kids. It’s a great family environment. They are very happy to be there and are waving Honda flags and cheering us on. It’s always nice to see them."

RC ENERSON (No. 31 Lucas Oil School Carlin Chevrolet): “It’s really great to be back driving with Carlin after completing Spring Training earlier this season with the team. We’ve been working really hard to get something together to get me back in the seat at some point this season and I couldn’t be happier that it’s all come together for Mid-Ohio. Mid-Ohio has always been one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. I’ve just always loved the elevation changes and all of the high-speed flowing corners. I’m also excited to be able to carry the Lucas Oil School of Racing logo on the No. 31 this weekend. They are the official school of the Road to Indy and it’s been so rewarding to share my love of racing and instruct some of the future stars of INDYCAR over the years. I know we have some work to do this weekend, but I’m confident that with both my experience and the team’s at Mid-Ohio we can put together a solid result."

MAX CHILTON (No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet): “I’m excited to get back to Mid-Ohio, especially after a weekend away from being in the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet. We had a really good test at Mid-Ohio back in June where we were able to build on the progress we made last year during the race weekend. We actually had our best qualifying ever for the team here last season making it into the Firestone Fast Six with the No. 59, so we know we can be quick in qualifying. We just need to translate that speed to the race. I am really looking forward to this race weekend, not only because I think we can come away with a good result but also because of the event itself. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is such a great event with a great atmosphere and it makes it so much more fun for us as drivers when we get to drive in front of fans who are so passionate about the sport."

JACK HARVEY (No. 60 AutoNation SiriusXM Honda): “What Mid-Ohio means to our team doesn’t need a big introduction. It’s one of those races that we circle on the schedule every year to really do a good job at in front of (team co-owner) Mike’s (Shank) home crowd. We go into the weekend as we do any other, but there is definitely that bit of added pressure to have a good result. It’s been our goal to qualify in the top 12 and finish in the top 10 and I hope that I can do that front of his friends and family. That’s what we are always looking to achieve, Mid-Ohio is just a little more special."

Will Marco be fast enough to avoid being black flagged for being too slow again?
Will Marco be fast enough to avoid being black flagged for being too slow again?

COLTON HERTA (No. 88 Harding Steinbrenner Racing Honda): “I'm very excited for the Honda Indy 200 this weekend because Mid-Ohio is my favorite track in North America. It's always such a fun race with so many fans who camp out the entire weekend. I'm confident in the hard work the Harding Steinbrenner Racing guys have been doing in between Iowa and this coming weekend so we can have another great result."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 98 UniFirst / Curb Honda): “It's important for us to have a good event this weekend and forget about last week. We really want to head into the end of the season with positive momentum. I'm happy to be back in the UniFirst car will try to build on the Toronto top 10 that we earned for them."