IndyCars - Mid-Ohio: An iconic American road course once again hosts a huge crowd

MarkyS · 2021-07-03T00:00:38.288Z

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Friday morning at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 holds practice and qualifying…

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After 3 test session yesterday, the kids in USF2000 held yet another practice today and the results reflected a lot of what we saw yesterday. The TOP FIVE in practice were Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports, Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport, Jace Denmark for Pabst Racing, Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing and Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing.

Following the morning practice the teams prepped for qualifying in the early afternoon for a race they will run later today.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 11, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:21.4401s for a speed of 99.813mph
KikoPortoDEForceRacing300

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P2 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports - time of 01:21.7339s for a speed of 99.454mph
MichaelD'Orlando150-6

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Row 2

P3 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing - time of 01:21.7368s for a speed of 99.451mph
NolanSiegel150-6

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P4 - Simon Sikes, Legacy Autosport - time of 01:21.7673s for a speed of 99.414mph
SimonSikes150-1

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Row 3

P5 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.0317s for a speed of 99.093mph
BillyFrazer150-2

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P6 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:22.0645s for a speed of 99.054mph
BijoyGarg150-2

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Row 4

P7 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing
P8 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing

Row 5

P9 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P10 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports
P12 - Matt Round-Garrido, Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing
P14 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing

Row 8

P15 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport
P16 - Jackson Lee [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 9

P17 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
P18 - Erik Evans [R], Velocity Racing Development

Row 10

P19 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P20 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing

Row 11

P21 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
P22 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 12

P23 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P24 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 13

P25 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing
P26 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 14

P27 - Chase Hyland [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P28 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Notable:

This grid looks right, with points-leader Kiko Porto on pole and Michael d’Orlando, who has dominated the testing and practice, beside him on the front row. But we are delighted to see Row 3, with New Zealander Billy Frazer and Californian Bijoy Garg. Up to now, both have been mid-pack guys, but in this race they have their best starts and best opportunities, so far this season.
We’re a bit perplexed with P13 Yuven Sundaramoorthy, P14 Prescott Campbell and P15 Christian Brooks. All three of those guys should be easily in the TOP TEN and probably TOP FIVE.

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Kiko Porto - on the pole for Race 1
KikoPorto300-

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This race will run later today - last action on track. Next, Indy Pro 2000 hold practice and qualifying…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T00:55:59.714Z

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Friday morning at Mid-Ohio - the IP2K gang hold practice and qualifying…

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After three test sessions on Thursday the Indy Pro 2000 series was next to complete their official practice and then qualify for their first race of the weekend.

The practice TOP FIVE were led by Artem Petrov for Exclusive Autosport, followed by Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports, Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development, Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri and Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport. The outlier here is Jack, who is having an outstanding weekend, so far.

Following practice, the gang took some time to adjust their race cars and went out for qualifying in the afternoon.

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Here is the way Indy Pro 2000 will grid for Season Round 11, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:17.5084s for a speed of 104.876mph
ChristianRasmussenJayHowardDriverDevelopment300-5

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P2 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:17.9272s for a speed of 104.313mph
ArtemPetrov150-5

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Row 2

P3 - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.9937s for a speed of 104.224mph
HunterMcElrea150-4

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P4 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports - time of 01:18.0186s for a speed of 104.191mph
JacobA150_zpsmge4heo1

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Row 3

P5 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.0277s for a speed of 104.178mph
BradenEves150-5

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P6 - Manuel Sulaiman, Juncos Racing - time of 01:18.1034s for a speed of 104.077mph
ManuelSulaiman150-1

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Row 4

P7 - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Racing
P8 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Racing

Row 5

P9 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
P10 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 6

P11 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport
P12 - Hunter Yeany [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Notable:

The TOP TEN Indy Pro 2000 drivers from the practice were separated by less than a half-second. The entire field was covered by 1 second in qualifying. That’s remarkable parity in this highly-competitive series.
Rookie Christian Rasmussen has 5 career WINS at Mid-Ohio in USF2000. Artem Petrov was a 2020 Indy Pro 2000 WINNER at the Mid-Ohio. Jacob Abel was a WINNER in the Formula Regional Americas Championship at Mid-Ohio, last weekend. Hunter McElrea has 2 poles and a WIN from USF2000 at Mid-Ohio. Manuel Sulaiman has a pole and a WIN in IP2K at Mid-Ohio from last year. Reece Gold has a pole, 5 podiums and a WIN from USF2000 at Mid-Ohio. The grid is loaded with successful Mid-Ohio performers.

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Christian Rasmussen
ChristianRasmussen300

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The race is scheduled for first thing, Saturday morning. Up next, the SSts qualify for Race 1…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T01:26:54.198Z

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - the Stadium Super Trucks qualify for Race 1 of the weekend…

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The SSTs got their first shot at the track today and it was the IndyCar guys who dominated the qualifying.

Here is the way the Stadium Super Trucks qualified for Race 1:

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Row 1

Pole - Matthew Brabham
IMG_3524_zpsa16cb028

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P2 - Robby Gordon
RobbyGordon2_zpsuirul0y8

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Row 2

P3 - Jerret Brooks
P4 - Robert Stout

Row 3

P5 - Aaron Bambach
P6 - Max Gordon

Row 4

P7 - Bill Hynes
P8 - Jeff Noland

Row 5

P9 - Bo LeMastus

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In SST racing the qualifying grid is reversed and the last guy starts on pole with the first guy starting last, so Bo LeMastus will be on pole for the race, while Matthew and Robby will be starting from the back.

The trucks were at Mid-Ohio in ealry June to support XFinity and ARCA racing and we have some video from that event:

twitter.com

Stadium SUPER Trucks

@SSuperTrucks

Race 1 results from @mid_ohio 1. Sheldon Creed 2. Matt Brabham 3. Robby Gordon 4. Greg Biffle 5. Robert Stout 6. Aaron Bambach 7. Max Gordon https://t.co/oT9fcmNuaf

4:31 PM - 5 Jun 2021 57 18

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…and more:

twitter.com

Stadium SUPER Trucks

@SSuperTrucks

2021 Mid Ohio Race 1 final lap battle between @sheldoncreed & @mattybrabs from the @robbygordon roof cam No Pass In The Grass https://t.co/ZpdrzgIn47

2:58 AM - 9 Jun 2021 140 30

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The SSTs will hold Race 1 on Saturday in the early afternoon. Next, the IndyCars finally take to the track for first practice…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T02:06:05.604Z

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - the IndyCars hold their first of three practices…

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The big cars got their shot at the track late in the day and just managed to complete the P-1 session before rains came. Josef Newgarden for Team Penske took the TOP SPOT 1/3 of the way through the session and never relenquished it.

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Here was the order of speed for the IndyCars P-1 practice, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 01:07.2524s for a speed of 120.870mph
JosefNewgardenMidOhio300

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2 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP - time of 01:07.5050s for a speed of 120.418mph
PatoOward150-10

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3 - Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing - time of 01:07.5840s for a speed of 120.277mph
JackHarvey150-4

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4 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:07.7245s for a speed of 120.027mph
Alexander_zpsopyojkkf

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5 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan - time of 01:07.7561s for a speed of 119.971mph
GrahamRahal_zpsfe0c089f

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6 - Romain Grosjean [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
7 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
8 - Sebastien Bourdais, AJ Foyt Enterprises
9 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
10 - James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Steinbrenner

11 - Will Power, Team Penske
12 - Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
13 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP
14 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
15 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport
16 - Scott McLaughlin [R], Team Penske
17 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
18 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
19 - Max Chilton, Carlin
20 - Ed Jones, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser Sullivan

21 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
22 - Ryan Norman [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
23 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
24 - Santino Ferrucci, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
25 - Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
26 - Jimmie Johnson [R], Chip Ganassi Racing

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Notable:

Returning to racing after injuries are Felix Rosenqvist for Arrow McLaren SP and Rinus VeeKay for Ed Carpenter Racing.
Three cars went off the island in practice, with Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist escaping damage, but Takuma Sato damaged some suspension.
Mid-Ohio is the home track for Meyer Shank Racing, which is based in Pataskala, Ohio.
Making his IndyCar debut is Indy Lights race WINNER and 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class champ Ryan Norman, driving the # 52 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing.

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Ryan Norman
RyanNorman

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Josef Newgarden
C40JT9LUkAEzqu7_zpsl27xb7tk

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The IndyCars will practice a second time on Saturday morning, in preparation for qualifying later in the day. next up, the first race of the weekend, as USF2000 do Season Round 11. The grid for this is in post # 7…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T03:08:55.845Z

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Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 races, and taking his 2nd WIN…

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…of the season was Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports from his P2 start, while P2 went to pole-sitter Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing and P3 went to P4 starter Simon Sikes for Legacy Autosport.

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MichaelD'orlandoCapeMotorsports300-2

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On the opening lap Simon Sikes got past Nolan Siegel for DEForce racing to take P3 while Josh Pierson for Pabst Racing passed teammate Jace Denmark for the P6 spot. Pole-sitter Porto’s DEForce teammate Prescott Campbell and Myles Rowe for Force Indy came together on the run up to the Keyhole and spun each other off, resulting in a full-course caution. Dylan Christie for Turn 3 Motorsports also needed a new front wing, as a result of the field checking up to avoid the spinning cars.

On the lap 4 restart Porto maintained P1 but was never able to shake off d’Orlando, who was still shadowing him very closely when the caution flag waved again after 11 laps due to contact between Erik Evans for Velocity Autosport and Michael Myers for Michael Myers Racing. The race restart with 6 laps remaining was the key for d’Orlando who pulled an over-under on Porto in Turns 4 and 5 to take the lead.

D’Orlando then set a series of Fastest Laps in order to ensure his WIN while Billy Frazer for Exclusive Autosport passed Nolan Siegel to take over P4. D’Orlando was 1.6 seconds ahead of Porto at the line, with Sikes 1.6 seconds back of Kiko.

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Notable:

This was Michael’s 2nd WIN at Mid-Ohio in two years and also his 2nd WIN this season. With it he moved from 4th place in the point to 2nd place.
Yuven Sundaramoorthy made up three places in the race, passing from P13 to P10, but still lost ground in the title chase, as a result of the race, falling to 3rd in points.
Simon Sikes is a Team USA Scholarship WINNER who has improved with every race weekend, this season, after 8 starts in 2020. This is his first Road to Indy podium.
This was Billy Frazer’s best result this year and the same was true for Bijoy Garg for Jay Howard Driver Development who both started and finished in P6.

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Your happy podium - That’s Kiko Porto in P2 on the left, Michael d’Orlando in P1 in the middle and Simon Sikes in P3 on the right:

USF2000PodiumRace1

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USF2000 will hold Race 2 of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, right before the IndyCar’s final practice. This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T15:11:46.026Z

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Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - IP2K qualifies for Race 2 of the weekend…

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In the Road to Indy, on a double header weekend the series will give each race its own qualifying session, to allow teams to adjust their cars between qualifying. This morning, Indy Pro 2000 did their Q-2 for Race 2.

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Here is the way Indy Pro 2000 will grid for Season Round 12, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:18.1600s for a speed of 104.002mph
Hunterpole2

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P2 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.1717s for a speed of 103.986mph
ArtemPetrov150-3

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Row 2

P3 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:18.3328s for a speed of 103.773mph
ChristianRasmussen150-5

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P4 - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Racing - time of 01:18.4060s for a speed of 103.676mph
ReeceGold150-4

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Row 3

P5 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Racing - time of 01:18.4967s for a speed of 103.556mph
KyffinSimpson150-3

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P6 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports - time of 01:18.5123s for a speed of 103.535mph
JacobAbel175-4

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Row 4

P7 - Manuel Sulaiman, Juncos Racing
P8 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport

Row 5

P9 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
P10 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport

Row 6

P11 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P12 - Hunter Yeany [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Notable:

The TOP THREE of this field were the TOP THREE in the Q-1 qually, too, but in a different order.
The improved drivers here in Q-2 are Kyffin Simpson and Reece Gold

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Hunter McElrea
HunterPole

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This race is scheduled for Sunday Morning. Next up, the IndyCars hold their final practice before qualifying…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T15:50:24.803Z

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Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - The IndyCars hold theor P-2 session…

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This is the last chance for the big cars to get their qualifying set-up squared away, while also looking for a great race set-up, if they have the time. Look for the fast guys here to qualify well.

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Here is the order of speed for the IndyCars P-2 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP - time of 01:06.0911s for a speed of 122.994mph
Pato

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2 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 01:06.0993s for a speed of 122.979mph
JosefNewgarden150-7

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3 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:06.1839s for a speed of 122.821mph
ColtonHerta150-

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4 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan - time of 01:06.3348s for a speed of 122.542mph
GrahamRahal150_zpsxkm9ewqd

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5 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:06.3657s for a speed of 122.485mph
JDC-LB-14_0878-A_zpsae354e99

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6 - Will Power, Team Penske
7 - Scott McLaughlin [R], Team Penske
8 - Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing
9 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
10 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP

11 - Romain Grosjean [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
12 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
13 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
14 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport
15 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
16 - Sebastien Bourdais, AJ Foyt Enterprises
17 - James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Steinbrenner
18 - Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
19 - Ed Jones, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser Sullivan
20 - Max Chilton, Carlin

21 - Santino Ferrucci, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
22 - Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
23 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
24 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
25 - Ryan Norman [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
26 - Jimmie Johnson [R], Chip Ganassi Racing

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Notable:

Improving a lot from yesterday was rookie Scott McLaughlin for Team Penske. Also improving was Rinus VeeKay, knocking off the rust from being gone for a few weeks with his broken collar bone.
Conversely, dropping off a bit or a lot are Jack Harvey, Romain Grosjean, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi. They will all try harder in qualifying, but that can often lead to over-driving the car.
No one will be hungier in qualifying than Josef Newgarden who believes the racing gods owe him one…or maybe more than one.

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Pato O’Ward
PatoResting

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The IndyCars will qualify for the race later today. Next up, the Indy Lights qualify for Race 2…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T16:30:44.522Z

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Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - the Indy Lights qualify for Race 2 of their weekend…

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The Lights, with their Cooper tires, held their 2nd qually session of the weekend in the mid-morning, with IndyCar Firestone tire rubber just laid down on the track from their P-1 practice, and finding that least objectionable was Andretti’s Danial Frost.

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Here is the way the Indy Lights will grid for Season Round 12, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Danial Frost [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 01:11.2465s for a speed of 114.094mph
Danpole

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P2 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 01:11.3756s for a speed of 113.888mph
KyleKirkwood150-5

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Row 2

P3 - Linus Lundqvist [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 01:11.6289s for a speed of 113.485mph
LinusLundqvist150-4

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P4 - David Malukas, HMD Motorsports - time of 01:11.6631s for a speed of 113.431mph
DJdCaOvV4AA1QDa_zpsq3rdxkaa

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Row 3

P5 - Devlin DeFrancesco [R], Andretti Steinbrenner Racing - time of 01:11.8699s for a speed of 113.104mph
DevlinDeFrancesco150-3

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P6 - Robert Megennis, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:11.9880s for a speed of 112.919mph
RobMegennis150-6

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Row 4

P7 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports
P8 - Toby Sowery, Juncos Racing

Row 5

P9 - Sting Ray Robb [R], Juncos Racing
P10 - Alex Peroni [R], Carlin / Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 6

P11 - Antonio Serravalle [R], Pserra Racing
P12 - Nikita Lastochkin [R], HMD Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Christian Bogle [R], Carlin / Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

This is Danial Frost’s 3rd pole in 4 races. He was almost 3/10ths of a second faster than Kyle Kirkwood, which is a huge gap for Indy Lights. Danial has found his mojo in the Lights car.
The way this qually finish sets up at least three inter-team battles on the first lap, as Danial and Kyle battle, David and Linus battle and Devlin and Rob battle for position at the drop of the green flag. Should be fun.

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Danial Frost
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This race is scheduled to run on Sunday, right before the IndyCar race. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 hold their first race of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 8…

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T17:59:33.974Z

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 Race 1 was WON in convincing fashion…

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…by series points-leader Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development, from pole. Taking P2 from P2 was Artem Petrov for Exclusive Autosport while Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports grabbed P3 from his P4 start.

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RasmussenWIN

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On the opening lap Jacob Abel got by P3 starter Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing on the run up to the Keyhole. P5 starter Manuel Sulaiman for Juncos Racing then made a stab at Hunter in Turn 4 but didn’t have enough room to execute and spun off. As he tried to rejoin he got beached on the curbing and stuck, bringing out the full course caution to unbeach him. He was able to get going before losing a lap but was very far behind the field when the race went green on lap 2.

On lap 2 Hunter McElrea was able to retake P3 in the Turn4 / 5 complex from Jacob, while James Roe for Turn 3 Motorsports took P8 from Wyatt Brichacek for Jay Howard Driver Development. Rasmussen and Artem Petrov now started to escape the rest of the field, with Raz setting Fastest Lap in the process. On lap 4 Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri passed Hunter Yeany for Velocity Racing Development for the P10 spot.

A spirited battle for P6 developed between Juncos Racing teammates Kyffin Simpson and Reece Gold, with the pair running nose-to-tail almost to the end of the race, Reece leading. On lap 23 the fight for P3 heated up again as Jacob and Hunter McElrea entered Turn 4 beside each other, with McElrea putting a wheel off, allowing Abel to sneak by and retake the position. Two laps later, Raz crossed the line for the WIN, 0.9675 seconds ahead of Petrov, who was over ten seconds ahead of Jacob Abel.

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Notable:

The “Great Dane” now has 6 Road to Indy WINS at Mid-Ohio, counting his 5 in 2 seasons of USF2000. He also now has 6 WINS in 2021 in IP2K. With his pole, Fastest Lap and most laps led, he earned the maximum 33 points for today, adding to his lead over 2nd place Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport, who started P6 and finished P5 today.
Rasmussen now has 18 Road to Indy WINS in three seasons of racing in the ladder. The all-time career WIN holder for the Road to Indy is current Indy Lights driver Kyle Kirkwood, with 25 WINS.

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Your happy podium - except for Artem Petrov, who is only happy when he WINS - That’s Artem on the left in P2, Chrisitan Rasmussen in the middle in P1 and Jacob Abel in P3 on the right:

IP2KRace1Podium

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IP2K will race again on Sunday to close the weekend. Next up, the IndyCars qualify!

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MarkyS · 2021-07-03T19:42:38.597Z

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Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - the IndyCars are qualified for the Honda Indy 200…

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…and grabbing his 3rd pole in the last three races was Josef Newgarden for Team Penske, with a last-lap flier that took pole after the clock had expired on the Fireston Fast Six.

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Here is the way the IndyCars will grid for the Honda Indy 200, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denoted rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 01:06.6739s for a speed of 121.919mph
JoPole

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P2 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:06.6770s for a speed of 121.913mph
ColtonHerta150-1

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Row 2

P3 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:07.0723s for a speed of 121.195 mph
MarcusEricsson150-5

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P4 - Will Power, Team Penske - time of 01:07.1161s for a speed of 121.115mph
WillPower150-7
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Row 3

P5 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:07.1358s for a speed of 121.080mph
scott_zpsncwaq3y5

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P6 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:07.2181s for a speed of 120.932mph
AlexanderRossi150-8

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Row 4

P7 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
P8 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan

Row 5

P9 - James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Steinbrenner
P10 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport

Row 6

P11 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
P12 - Sebastien Bourdais, AJ Foyt Enterprises

Row 7

P13 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP
P14 - Scott McLaughlin [R], Team Penske

Row 8

P15 - Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
P16 - Ed Jones, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser Sullivan

Row 9

P17 - Max Chilton, Carlin
P18 - Romain Grosjean [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing

Row 10

P19 - Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
P20 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP

Row 11

P21 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
P22 - Santino Ferrucci, Rahal Letterman Lanigan

Row 12

P23 - Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing
P24 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing

Row 13

P25 - Jimmie Johnson [R], Chip Ganassi Racing
P26 - Ryan Norman [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing

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Notable:

Josef grabbed the pole from Colton Herta as the final driver to complete his final lap, after the checkered flag had flown on the Q-3 session. This is his 3rd series pole in a row and his best chance to get a WIN this season, because it is so difficult to pass at Mid-Ohio.
The difference between the morning practice and the afternoon qually session was some 35 degrees in temperature, and that difference caught out a lot of the fast guys in the morning - especially Pato O’Ward for Arrow McLaren SP, who topped the morning session but could not even transfer to the Firestone Fast Twelve.
In the Q-1 session Jack Harvey had completed a lap good enough to transfer in 3rd place but beached his car near Turn 9. That ruined the final lap of Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi. As a result, Harvey lost his fastest lap of the session and did not transfer. Pagenaud and Rossi each lost their final lap. Rossi still transferred but Pagenaud did not.

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Simon Pagenaud (left), Jack Harvey and Pato O’Ward - bad day
Simon-150_zpsmhbbbosk JackHarvey150-1 PatoO'Ward150-7

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The race is scheduled for broadcast on NBC at 12:00 Noon EASTERN time on Sunday. Next up, the Stadium Super Trucks hold Race 1 of the weekend. The grid for that is in post # 9…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-03T21:54:40.723Z

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Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - The SSTs hold a wild one…

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…with lots of lead changes. We have the entire Stadium Super Trucks Race 1 here, and so will not reveal the WINNER.

See for yourself:

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The trucks are even more fun in person, where the 600 horsepower mills in them can really holler at you, as they go by. Race 2 for the trucks will be on Sunday, right after the IndyCar race, as the final event of the weekend for the fans. Next up, USF2000 hold Race 2 of the weekend. The grid for this race follows…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-03T22:04:52.529Z

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Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - The grid for USF2000 Race 2…

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When the Road to Indy has a triple-header weekend, as they do with USF2000, this weekend, they only have the one Race 1 qually session, in order to compress the schedule. Race 2 will use the driver’s 2nd fastest qually lap or their fastest lap from Race 1 - whichever is better for them.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 12: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing
KikoPortoDEForceRacing300-2

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P2 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports
Michaeld'Orlando150-5

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Row 2

P3 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing
NolanSiegel150-2

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P4 - Simon Sikes, Legacy Autosport
SimonSikes150-2

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Row 3

P5 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport
BillyFrazer150-1

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P6 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development
BijoyGarg150-1

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Row 4

P7 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing
P8 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing

Row 5

P9 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P10 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports
P12 - Matt Round-Garrido, Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing
P14 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing

Row 8

P15 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport
P16 - Jackson Lee [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 9

P17 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
P18 - Erik Evans [R], Velocity Racing Development

Row 10

P19 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P20 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing

Row 11

P21 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
P22 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 12

P23 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P24 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 13

P25 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing
P26 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 14

P27 - Chase Hyland [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P28 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Kiko Porto - on pole
KikoPorto300-1

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Next, the race for this grid…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-03T23:02:10.932Z

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Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 Race 2 of the weekend…

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…turned out to be an almost perfect race for pole-sitter Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing, leading all laps and taking the WIN. P2 was yesterday’s WINNER Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports from his P2 start while P3 went to P4 starter Simon Sikes for Legacy Autosport for the 3rd podium in 3 races.

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KikoWIN

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The huge field got away at the start pretty cleanly, but there was a lot of shuffling in the pack to avoid contact, starting with P3 starter Nolan Siegel for DEForce, who had to drop to P6 in order to avoid contact. Simon Sikes took over P3 and the podium was already set before Turn 2. Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport made the leap from P13 to P8 while teammate Matt Round-Garrido improved from P8 to P4, and Evan Stamer for Ignite Autosport moved from P26 all the way to P15.

Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing had to drop from P13 to P21 and teammate Josh Pierson dropped from P8 to P16. On lap 2 Billy Frazer for Exclusive moved past Nolan to take over P6 as Spike Kohlbecker for Ignite Autosport put Christian Brooks back to P9. The biggest forward mover was Yuven, who recovered to P16. By Lap 6 Pierson had also recovered to P12. Those guys are passers.

On lap 7 Yuven moved into P7 past Evan Stamer. Meanwhile, Kiko Porto and Michael d’Orlando were beginning to detach from the pack, but not from each other. On lap 9 Michael set Fastest Lap to stay with Kiko, while Yuven passed Myles Rowe for Force Indy to take P14. On lap 10 Kiko set his own Fastest Lap while Myles returned the favor on Yuven and reclaimed P14. On lap 13 Jackson Lee for Jay Howard Driver Development pitted from P27 for fresh tires, with the intent of setting Fastest Lap to ensure a better start in Race 3. He then did exactly that, setting Fastest Lap after rejoining on Lap 13. He reset it on Lap 16.

For the remainder of the race it was a close battle for the lead between Porto and d’Orlando and a similar battle between Siegel and Frazer for P6. On lap 19 Nolan took Frazer for P6 in Turn 4 while Brooks, Jace Denmark for Pabst and Josh Green for Turn 3 Motorsports all passed Spike Kohlbecker for P8, P9 and P10, respectively. On the final lap, Yuven retook P14 with Evan Stamer following through past Myles Rowe.

Kiko WON by 0.4 seconds over Michael, who was 3.99 seconds ahead of Simon. For a race with the podium set after the first turn of the first lap, this one had tons of action going on!

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Notable:

This was Kiko’s 3rd WIN of the seaon and it secures his lead in the points over Michael d’Orlando. Race 3 will also have Porto on pole with d’Orlando in P2.
Jackson Lee’s bid to improve his starting position worked perfectly. Instead of starting somewhere near the tail of the field he will start Race 3 from P5. JHDD Teammate Peter Vodanovich did the same thing and was similarly rewarded with a race lap much better than his qualifying 2nd lap. He will start Race 3 from P6. These are the best career starts for both drivers.

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Your happy podium - That’s Michael d’Orlando in P2 on the left, Kiko Porto in P1 in the middle and Simon Sikes in P3 on the right:

USF2000PodiumRace2

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The final race for USF2000 will be on Sunday morning - first race of the day. Next up, the IndyCars hold their final practice…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-03T23:38:40.372Z

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - the IndyCar hold final practice…

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A post-qualifying practice session is always hard to read because no one knows for sure which program each team or each car within a team are going for. Are they still looking for outright speed? Are they checking the duration of the red alternate tires? Are they experimenting with race set-up? It’s even worse when it’s not a morning warm-up, as the weather can change so much overnight as to make data useless. So, make of this what you will.

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Here was the order of speed for the IndyCars P-3 practice session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:08.0256s for a speed of 119.496mph
ScottCar

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2 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:08.0745s for a speed of 119.410mph
ColtonHerta150-

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3 - Romain Grosjean [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing - time of 01:08.1490s for a speed of 119.280mph
RomainGrosjean150-3

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4 - Max Chilton, Carlin - time of 01:08.1640s for a speed of 119.254mph
Max-Chilton_zpsppwu2riu

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5 - James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Steinbrenner - time of 01:08.2429s for a speed of 119.116mph
JamesHinchcliffe150-3

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6 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
7 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
8 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
9 - Scott McLaughlin [R], Team Penske
10 - Ed Jones, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser Sullivan

11 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP
12 - Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing
13 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport
14 - Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
15 - Sebastien Bourdais, AJ Foyt Enterprises
16 - Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
17 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
18 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport
19 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
20 - Will Power, Team Penske

21 - Ryan Norman [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
22 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP
23 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
24 - Santino Ferrucci, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
25 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
26 - Jimmie Johnson [R], Chip Ganassi Racing

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Scott Dixon
ScottDixon300-4

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Next up, the Indy Lights hold Race 1 of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 6…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T00:21:20.865Z

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - The Indy Lights hold Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and taking his 5th WIN in 2021 was Kyle Kirkwood for Andretti Autosport from pole. P2 went to teammate Danial Frost from his P3 start while P3 went to P2 starter David Malukas for HMD Motorsports.

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KirkwoodWIN

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On the opening lap Kirkwood got away cleanly with David Malukas in tow. On the run up towards the Keyhole Sting Ray Robb for Juncos Racing put a wheel off course and dropped from P7 to P10, while teammate Toby Sowery improved from P9 to P7, Rob Megennis for Andretti Autosport took P8 and Alex Peroni for Carlin took P9. On lap 3 David set Fastest Lap as he chased down Kirkwood. On lap 5 Christian Bogle for Carlin got around Sting Ray to take P10 while up front Kirkwood reset Fastest Lap.

On lap 6 Malukas again took Fastest Lap but by lap 9 Kirkwood set what was the ultimate Fastest Lap and the series point that goes with it. On lap 17 Malukas charged Kirkwood going into Turn 9 but slipped off the track at speed. He was able to gather it up and keep it off the wall, rejoining down the track, but by then Danial Frost had passed him for the P2 spot. On lap 26 Toby Sowery was able to pass Benjamin Pedersen for Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motorsports in Turn 4 and secured P6. This was the last pass of the race, as the field stretched out.

Kirkwood sailed to the WIN on lap 35 with an 8.374-second lead over Frost, who was 12 seconds ahead of David Malukas.

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Notable:

This is Kyle’s 26 WIN in his Road to Indy career - the most of any driver, ever. He earned maximum points - 30 for the WIN, and 1 each for Fastest Lap, pole and most laps led.
Going into the race Malukas held an 8-point lead over Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist for GRG w/ HMD Motorsports. Kirkwood now leads the series by 2 points over David and 13 points over Lundqvist, who started and ended the day in P4. Race 2 will mean a lot, with the points this tight.
Danial Frost will start from pole on Sunday, with Kirkwood beside him and Lundqvist and Malukas in Row 2.

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Your happy podium - That’s Danial Frost in P2 on the left, Kyle Kirkwood in P1 in the middle and David Malukas in P3 on the right:

ILPodiumRace1.2

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The Indy Lights will hold Race 2 in the mid-morning on Sunday, right before the IndyCar race. This was the last on-track activity of the day. On Sunday, we will start the day with USF2000, Race 3…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T12:04:28.815Z

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Sunday morning at Mid-Ohio - The grid for USF2000 Race 3…

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With a triple-header weekend, the Road to Indy uses either the the driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap or their fastest Race 2 lap to grid Race 3.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 13: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing
KikoPortoDEForceRacing300-

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P2 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports
MichaelD'Orlando150-2

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Row 2

P3 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing
NolanSiegel150-7

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P4 - Simon Sikes, Legacy Autosport
SimonSikes150-4

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Row 3

P5 - Jackson Lee [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
JacksonLee150-1

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P6 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
PeterVodanovich150-1

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Row 4

P7 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports
P8 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 5

P9 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing
P10 - Matt Round-Garrido, Exclusive Autosport

Row 6

P11 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports
P12 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing
P14 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 8

P15 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing
P16 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport

Row 9

P17 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
P18 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing

Row 10

P19 - Erik Evans [R], Velocity Racing Development
P20 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 11

P21 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P22 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing

Row 12

P23 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
P24 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 13

P25 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P26 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing

Row 14

P27 - Chase Hyland [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P28 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Kiko Porto - on the pole
KikoPorto300-4

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Next up, the race for this grid…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T17:18:04.323Z

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Sunday morning at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 closes out the weekend…

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…with a wild one, as Race 3 saw all sorts of passing, spinning and movement. At the end of it the WINNER was Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports from his P2 start. P2 went to Simon Sikes for Legacy Autosport from a P4 start, while Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing was one of the biggest movers in the race, going from a P13 start to finish P3.

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Michael2ndWIN

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As Kiko Porto for DEForce led the field from pole up the long run to the Keyhole, Dylan Christie for Turn 3 Motorsports got punted from behind, spun, and collected Myles Rowe for Force Indy, as both went off and brought out the first Caution. In the scrum Nolan Siegel for DEForce dropped from P3 to P6, Jackson Lee for JHDD dropped from P5 to P9 and Evan Stamer for Ignite Autosport went off course in Turn 4, but Matt Round-Garrido for Exclusive Autosport moved up from P10 to P4 and Yuven moved from P13 to P11.

On the lap 4 restart d’Orlando pounced on Kiko and the two car ran beside each other for half a lap before Michael made the pass for the lead stick. On lap 5 Yuven was up to P9, past Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport, while Billy Frazer for Exclusive made contact with Nolan Siegel, sending him off course to get back on in P25. Frazer would pull a drive-through penaly. Trey Burke for Joe Dooling Autosports went off in Turn 4 trying to avoid Siegel and Frazer, bringing out another Caution.

On the lap 10 restart Simon passed Kiko for the P2 spot in Turn 1. On lap 11 Yuven was past Brooks for P7 but then Prescott Campbell for DEForce was off in Turn 4 and yet another Caution flew. On lap 14 the restart saw Matt Round-Garrido take P3 from Kiko while Yuven made P6 off Peter Vodanovich for JHDD. On lap 15 Jace Denmark for Pabst Racing passed Kiko for P4 and Yuven followed him through to P5. On Lap 19 Yuven went after Jace and passed him for P4, with Kiko and Christian Brooks following through. On the final lap Yuven nipped Matt Round-Garrido for the P3 spot, as d’Orlando took the checkers about 1 second ahead of Simon Sikes, who was about 2 seconds ahead of Yuven at the line.

A great race with tons of passing throughout the field.

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Notable:

With this 2nd WIN of the weekend Michael d’Orlando closes in on Kiko Porto for the points lead.
This is Simon Sikes’ 4th podium in the row. The Team USA Scholarship WINNER only needs a WIN to cement his place in the back half of the season.
A poor qualifying effort had Yuven Sundaramoorthy fighting for position all weekend. With a P10 in Race 1 and a P14 in Race 2, Yuven needed to have a great Race 3 and he did, helping him maintain 3rd in the series points. Yuven is a passing machine, but he shouldn’t need to pass this much.
Making as many passes in the race as Yuven was Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport, going from P16 to P6 at the end. Josh Pierson for Pabst Racing made 7 passes, from P18 to P11. Both are title contender who like Yuven, had bad quallifying that hurt them this weekend, but they did all they could on track to correct that.
Despite all the full-course cautions, only two cars did not finish the race. Most of the movement in it was made by aggresive passing. The kids love to race hard and they are a blast to watch.

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Your happy podium - That’s Simon Sikes in P2 on the left, Michael d’Orlando in P1 in the middle and Yuven Sundaramoorthy in P3 on the right.

USF2000Race3 Podium

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points, leaving Mid-Ohio:

1 - Kiko Porto, 297
2 - Michael d’Orlando, 278
3 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 243
4 - Josh Pierson, 224
5 - Christian Brooks, 220

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Next up for USF2000 will be a 7 week rest, followed by another triple-header at New Jersey, August 27-29. Next, Indy Pro 2000 closes out their weekend with Race 2. The grid for that is in post # 11…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T17:19:20.714Z

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Sunday morning at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 closes the weekend with Race 2…

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…and WINNING from pole was Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing. Artem Petrov for Exclusive Autosport took another P2 for the weekend from his P2 start, while Kyffin Simpson for Juncos racing pulled in P3 from a P5 start.

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HunterWINRace2

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As Hunter led the field away Kyffin Simpson got the jump on first teammate Reece Gold and then on points-leader Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development, and took P4 and P3 away from them, respectively. Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport passed Manuel Sulaiman for Juncos Racing for the P7 spot. On lap 2 Reece was also past Rasmussen to take over P4 in Turn 4 while Manuel Sulaiman reclaimed P7 from Braden.

On lap 4 Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri relegated Braden to P9. One lap later Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports set Fastest Lap from the P6 spot, trying to capture Rasmussen. By lap 6 the field had stretched out, with a series of Fastest Laps laid down to stretch and close positions. Kyffin had it in Lap 8, then Hunter claimed it in Lap 9. Jack took it in lap 12 and Hunter reclaimed it in lap15. Everyone was fast, but the only real battle developed between Reece, Raz and Jacob, all trying for P4.

On lap 22 Kyffin set the ultimate Fastest Lap. As the race winded down the front closed up quite a lot but Hunter still passed the checkered flag 0.74 seconds ahead of Artem who was 0.43 seconds ahead of Kyffin.

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Notable:

This was Hunter’s 4th podium and 2nd WIN of the 2021 season. It was Kyffin Simpson’s 3rd podium of the season and Artem Petrov’s 6th podium of the season, with a WIN at the Indianapolis GP.
After 7 season races, Pabst Racing lost Colin Kaminsky as a 2nd car to bounce data off and that makes Pabst effectively a one-car team in IP2K. That hurts McElrea’s efforts, so this is especially gratifying.
Despite the P5 finish, points-leader Christian Rasmussen wasn’t hurt too much, as closest points rival Braden Eves finished in P9, opening the gap between them in the title chase.

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Your happy podium - That’s Artem Petrov in P2 on the left, HunterMcElrea in P1 in the middle and Kyffin Simpson in P3 on the right:

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IP2KRace2Podium

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Mid-Ohio:

1 - Christian Rasmussen, 306
2 - Braden Eves, 267
3 - Reece Gold, 254
4 - Artem Petrov, 250
5 - Hunter McElrea, 231

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Next up for Indy Pro 2000 will be a bit of a rest and then World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, August 19-21, in support of the IndyCars. Next, Indy Lights closes out the weekend with Race 2. The grid for that is in post # 13…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T18:59:37.056Z

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Sunday morning at Mid-Ohio - The Indy Lights close their weekend with Race 2…

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…and Kyle Kirkwood for Andretti Autosport makes racing history, taking his 11th WIN in 11 starts at Mid-Ohio, this time from P2. Teammate Danial Frost took P2 from pole while David Malukas for HMD Motorsports comes in P3 from his P4 start.

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KyleWIN2

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Danial led the field for the first lap but on lap 2 Kyle used his Push-to-Pass to take P1 in Turn 4 while Benjamin Pedersen for Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motosports took P6 from Rob Megennis for Andretti Autosport. On lap 3 Kyle set the Fastest Lap in an effort to escape Danial’s own Push-to-Pass in retort. On lap 4 Toby Sowery for Juncos Racing was past Rob to take over P7 in Turn 4.

On lap 5 Danial set his own Fastest Lap trying to reclaim P1 but Kirkwood replied with another reset of Fastest Lap on lap 6. Ramping up the speeds even higher, Danial AGAIN set Fastest Lap in Lap 8. On lap 10 Christian Bogle for Carlin went off in Turn 1 and was unable to rejoin, setting off a Full-Course Caution. On the Lap 13 restart David Malukas took P3 from quasi-teammate Linus Lundqvist. Soon, Kirkwood had put a sufficient gap between himself and Frost to be safe from Push-to-Pass overtakes.

At that point in the race the field stretched out and circulated without anymore passes, though Malukas slowly closed on Frost. He ran out of laps to complete a pass, however. Kirkwood finished the race 4.11 seconds ahead of Danial who was 0.64 seconds ahead of David at the line.

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Notable:

9 of Kirkwood’s 11 WINS at Mid-Ohio are from F4 United States, F3 Americas, USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 - all series he was Champion in - and now, 2 more in Indy Lights. With this sweep weekend he takes over the lead in points and is now in line to become the first driver to be Champion in all five major Junior Formula series in North America, including all three Road to Indy series. The guy is a monster!

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Your happy podium - That’s Danial Frost on the left in P2, Kyle Kirkwood in P1 in the middle and David Malukas in P3 on the right.

ILRace2Podium

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Mid-Ohio:

1 - Kyle Kirkwood, 290
2 - David Malukas, 279
3 - Linus Lundqvist, 265
4 - Danial Frost, 204
5 - Toby Sowery, 201

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The next outing for the Indy Lights will be at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, August 19-21, in support of the IndyCars. Until then, they take a much-needed break. Up next, the IndyCars race. The grid for that is in post # 16…

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M

MarkyS · 2021-07-04T20:20:17.112Z

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Sunday at Mid-Ohio - The IndyCar race…

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What a fitting tribute to Roger Penske’s 50th anniversary of his team’s first WIN in motorsports it was today as Josef Newgarden for Team Penske finally breaks through for the first WIN in 2021, from pole. Coming in P2 from his P3 start was Chip Ganassi’s Marcus Ericsson while P3 went to Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou, from P7.

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NewgyWIN

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The race started out wild, with two cautions very close together. The first involving Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe for Andretti Autosport, Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist and Dale Coyne’s Romain Grosjean. All would eventually rejoin the racing, though Ryan and Felix were two laps down.

For the second caution Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi and Will Power for Team Penske battled for position with Power getting squeezed into a spin. He dramatically spun up his tires trying to get turned around, creating a cloud of smoke that Ed Jones could not see through and the Dale Coyne drive ran into Power, taking both cars out of the race.

For the rest of the race it was a matter of the ebb and flow of luck and strategies, with Newgarden’s closest race rival Colton Herta for Andretti getting the worst of the luck, with two bad pit stops in a row. All the while, Newgarden controlled the race and his gap back to any pursuer. He was only out of the lead in pit stop cycles and was usually about 6 seconds in front. Late in the race, Ericcson was clearly gaining on him, but the Swede ran out of time to make anything happen, and Newgy took the checkers with a 0.879-second gap.

Other drivers were heroic. In a place that in known to be difficult to pass in Pato O’Ward for Arrow McLaren went from P20 to P8, Santino Ferrucci for Rahal Letterman Lanigan went from P22 to P9, Takuma Sato, also for RLL, from P19 to P10 and Romain Grosjean went from P18 to P7 - and none got there by the trick of an ill-timed full-course caution.

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Notable:

Newgarden earned his 19th career victory on the same weekend that Team Penske is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its first IndyCar series WIN, by Mark Donohue on July 3, 1971 at Pocono Raceway.
Ericsson earned his seventh TOP TEN finish of the season and it jumped him 3 positions in the points battle.
Mr. Mid-Ohio, Scott Dixon, had an unremarkable day, starting 5th and finishing 4th. He said the car was loose all day long and he just got the best out of it he could. He maintains 3rd in the points.

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Here are the race highlights:

twitter.com

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

@IndyCar

.@josefnewgarden's victory at @mid_ohio wasn't guaranteed with the hard-charging @ericsson_marcus right behind him. Watch today's #Honda200 highlights to relive the close finish. #INDYCAR // @TeamPenske // @CGRTeams https://t.co/NnWAy2wODE

7:56 PM - 4 Jul 2021 170 31

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Your happy podium - That’s Marcus Ericsson on the left in P2, Josef Newgarden in the middle in P1 and Alex Palou in P3 on the right:

IndyCar podium2

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With this result, here are the TOP FIVE in points, leaving Mid-Ohio:

1 - Alex Palou, 384
2 - Pato O’Ward, 345
3 - Scott Dixon, 328
4 - Josef Newgarden, 315
5 - Marcus Ericsson, 280

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The next IndyCar race is the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, August 8 on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Between now and then, broadcast partner NBC will be very busy with the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Next up, the Stadium Super Trucks close out the Mid-Ohio race weekend with Race 2…

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