IndyCars - Mid-Ohio: Time to return to battle in the Summer heat

[MarkyS]

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After a much-needed respite, following the last several races of the Spring calendar, the IndyCars are back in action this weekend at one of the most popular natural road courses in the country, as they do…

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

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The iconic road course is a fan favorite, so IndyCar decided there’s no better spot to celebrate the 4th of July weekend. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been in existence near Lexington and Mansfield, Ohio since 1962, holding races of all kinds of disciplines, from SportsCars to TransAm cars to Motorcycles to NASCAR Xfinity cars to IndyCars. The rolling and hilly track boasts all sorts of corner types in its 13-turn, 2.258 mile circuit, including a carousel and a keyhole turn, as well as a series of esses. The drivers all call this the most “technical” track of the season and that means instead of trying to WIN by wild heroics, the best way to the front is to nail each lap with consistent precision, as that rewards with the best times.

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Known as one of the best tracks for campers, Mid-Ohio pulls in big numbers in normal times and they hope to come close to or match the crowds that came to Road America last race. Those who do come will be treated to no less than 11 races over the weekend. They will include:

• Porsche Sprint Challenge - 2 races on Saturday and Sunday
• Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks - 2 races on Saturday and Sunday
• USF2000 - 3 races on Friday and Saturday
• Indy Pro 2000 - 2 races on Saturday
• Indy Lights - 1 race on sunday

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…and, of course, the IndyCars will race on Sunday.

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Let’s look at that support racing…

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Porsche Sprint Challenge - Sanctioned by USAC and operated by Porsche, this one-make series is intended to be the step between local club racing and Porsche Carrera Cup North America and is the largest single-make series in the continent. Utilizing the Porsche 992, which is the Cup version of the Porsche 911 GT3, the series prepares drivers and teams for the jump to the top level PCCNA series. As there are no IndyCar drivers here, we will wish them safe and happy racing and concentrate elsewhere.

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Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks - IndyCar and off-road legend Robby Gordon devised this series which utilizes 600hp off-road trucks and races them on man-made tracks inside stadiums, much like supercross motorcycling, but Robby discovered that they are far more popular running on asphalt racetracks using metal ramps for the jumps. In fact, the SSTs are perhaps the most popular support series for a racing weekend ever devised, with kids and families making up the fan base. The powerful trucks will leap over 20 feet high at times and be airborne for some 200 feet distance, making for a thilling and loud show. There are always a few IndyCar veterans in here, including Robby, so we like to pay attention.

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continued…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Support Racing… (continued).

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The Road to Indy is the ladder system that develops IndyCar drivers. It is made up of now four series in increasing complexity, performance and cost, each when conquered becomes a step towards entering the IndyCar series. They are USF Juniors, (a new series), USF2000, Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights. THREE of the four rungs on the ladder will be racing at Mid-Ohio this weekend, with the Juniors scheduled to be here next weekend, instead.
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USF2000 - What used to be the first step up on the ladder is a bit more complex than USF Juniors and is populated with drivers who have more open-wheel racing experience - even at this lower level. USF2000 uses the all-carbon Tatuus USF-22 car, powered by a 2.0 liter engine made by Elite Engines, with about 175 hp. The cars have racing slicks and adjustable wings. The transmissions are a six-speed sequential gearbox, with steering-wheel paddle shifters. The brakes are 4-piston monobloc caliper sets, front and rear.

The fields are usually very large, very eclectic and very competitive but the talent range is also large - some very good while others are learning. After 10 rounds, the current points leader is Michael d’Orlando, driving for Cape Motorsports in his 3rd full season in this series. He has 8 TOP FIVES with 3 podiums and 2 WINs. Michael is only 6 points ahead of Myles Rowe for Pabst Racing.

Michael d’Orlando

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Indy Pro 2000 - This is the middle rung of the ladder. “IP2K” uses the PM-22 car from Tatuus, based on the USF-22, but with much bigger tires, much more wing, and a much more powerful engine. The Elite Engines 2.0 liter puts out 275 hp. The brakes are bias driver-adjustable, just like in the USF-22. Transmissions are six-speed paddle-shifter sequential jobs. With the bigger tires and more wing, the cars have substantially more downforce and braking than USF2000.

The fields are typically graduates from USF2000 or from European F3 and GP3, all used to handling more power and grip and all with great racecraft. The level of competition across the board is much more even, though the fields are smaller than USF2000. After 10 rounds, the current points leader in IP2K is England’s Louis Foster for Exclusive Autosport, a rookie with 7 TOP FIVES, including 3 WINS and 6 podiums. Louie is 19 points ahead of Reece Gold for Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Louis Foster

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Indy Lights - The car is the Dallara IL-15 and is substantially bigger and better than the PM-22. It is much closer to an IndyCar in performance and feel - a great training ground to step up to the big cars. The Dallara uses a 450 hp turbo-charged engine from AER. The adjustable brakes are by PFC and are the biggest in the Road to Indy. The cars have much wider wheels than the PM-22, providing much more grip. The IL-15 has one more thing - Push-to-Pass, just like on the big cars. That is, an additional burst of 50 horsepower is available to the driver under most conditions, with the push of a button on the steering wheel.

The drivers are typically graduates of USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, but can often come from GP3 or GP2 in Europe. These drivers are ready to make the move to the big cars by season’s end and many of the drivers in IndyCars are recent graduates of Indy Lights. The Lights have held 7 races, so far, and the current points leader is Swedish sophomore Linus Lundqvist for HDM Motorsports, with 7 TOP FIVES including 4 WINS.

Linus Lundqvist

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Thursday will be a day of testing for USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, so let’s GET THIS THING GOING!!

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M

[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 holds testing…

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The only difference between a series test and a series practice is who pays for the track time used. A practice session is included in a race weekend whereas the series has to pay the track extra for series tests. The Road to Indy happily buys testing time in order to get the junior formula drivers as well acclimated to a track as possible so they can have the best possible races. Both Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 were given three test sessions each, today.

We have COMBINED the 3 test session in order to present the fastest drivers for the day, first with the kids from USF2000

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Here is the order of speed for USF2000, the 3 test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; the driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Jace Denmark, Pabst Racing - time of 1:22.8487s for a speed of 98.116mph (2)

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2 - Myles Rowe, Pabst Racing - time of 1:22.8793s for a speed of 98.080mph (2)

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3 - Thomas Nepveu, DEForce Racing - time of 1:22.8854s for a speed of 98.073mph (2)

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4 - Jagger Jones [R], Cape Motorsports - time of 1:23.0567s for a speed of 97.870mph (2)

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5 - Spike Kohlbecker, Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 1:23.1068s for a speed of 97.811mph (3)

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6 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing (2)
7 - Billy Frazer, Exclusive Autosport (3)
8 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports (2)
9 - Nicholas d’Orlando [R], Velocity Racing Development (3)
10 - Dylan Christie, DEForce Racing (2)

11 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development (3)
12 - Christian Weir, Turn 3 Motorsports (3)
13 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (2)
14 - Nicky Hays [R], Cape Motorsports (2)
15 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
16 - Viktor Andersson [R], Velocity Racing Development (3)
17 - Evagoras Papasavvas [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (2)
18 - Jorge Garciarce [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (2)
19 - Jacob Douglas [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
20 - Jackson Lee, Cape Motorsports (2)

21 - Danny Dyszelski [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (2)
22 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing (2)

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Notable:

• Pabst Racing takes the two top spots with Jace Denmark and Myles Rowe, well earning the team’s “Speedboys” moniker. Myles was P2 in both T-1 and T-2 but fell off in T-3 to P16 for some reason. Jace was P3, P1 and P7, taking the TOP TIME of the day with his P1 in the T-2 test.

• Nicolas d’Orlando moved up from USF Juniors at Road America and is already TOP TEN in this test, right below his points-leading brother, Michael. Also moving up from the Juniors last race weekend was Nikita Johnson who posted P11 here - again, very good.

• This is a great showing for Spike Kohlbecker who has been behind his teammate Christian Weir lately, but is ahead of him, here. Spike was impressive in his rookie season, last year.

• Not here are Simon Sikes for Legacy Autosport and Trey Burke for Joe Dooling Autosports, and both should be, if talent is the criteria. We suspect budget woes.

• New to the series this week is Maxwell Jamieson whom DEForce Racing is moving up from USF Juniors. Maxwell is listed as driving on the test day (today) only. Also, brand new to the Road to Indy is 20-year-old Lachlan “Lochie” Hughes from Queensland, Australia for Jay Howard Driver Development. Lochie is a product of Australian F4 where he was the Vice Champion of the series in 2019. He has lately been driving in US F4 for Jay Howard. His P13 is great for a first weekend in a brand new car.

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left to right, Nicolas d’Orlando, Maxwell Jamieson and Lochie Hughes

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Jace Denmark - TOPS for the day

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On Friday USF2000 will hold their official race weekend practice in the morning, followed by qualifying midday, followed by Race 1 in the late afternoon. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 hold their own tests…
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M

[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 holds testing…

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The gang from IP2K also got in three test sessions today and AGAIN, we have combined them to give you the top performers on the day

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Here is the order of speed for Indy Pro 2000, the 3 test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; the driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Salvador de Alba [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 1:18.5704s for a speed of 103.459mph (3)

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2 - Louis Foster [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:18.5882s for a speed of 103.435mph (2)

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3 - Josh Green [R], Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 1:18.7312s for a speed of 103.248mph (2)

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4 - Kiko Porto [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:18.8396s for a speed of 103.106mph (3)

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5 - Braden Eves, Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 1:18.9047s for a speed of 103.020mph (3)

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6 - Reece Gold, Juncos Hollinger Racing (3)
7 - Nolan Siegel [R], DEForce Racing (3)
8 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing (2)
9 - Enaam Ahmed, Juncos Hollinger Racing (1)
10 - Jordan Missig [R], Pabst Racing (2)

11 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports (1)
12 - Wyatt Brichacek, Exclusive Autosport (2)
13 - Jonathan Browne [R], Turn 3 Motorsports (2)

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Notable:

• We’d like to say we are surprised by Salvador getting the fastest time but we aren’t. Sal started the season with a P9, two P15s and a P8, but then he WON at Indianapolis in a surprise and collected a P4 and a P3 at Road America. Regardless of his tin-top oval racing background, Salvador has shown consistent improvement all season.

• It’s always strange to see Enaam Ahmed out of the TOP FIVE. Today, he posted a P1 in the first session, a P13 in T-2 and a P8 in T-3. While he was fastest in T-1, that was the slowest session of the day.

• Kiko Porto was an outstanding driver in USF2000, getting the title in 2021, but has been slower to catch on to the PM-22 in Indy Pro 2000. This is actually the best we have seen of him in a while, so that’s good.

• Like Enaam Ahmed, we are bit surprised to see Jack William Miller out of the top half of the grid. JWM has been very sharp lately.

• It’s actually all relative. This is a very fast group, in toto. The difference between Salvador and Jonathan Brown was 1.02 seconds of time and the TOP FIVE are separated by only 0.37 seconds. That’s parity.

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Salvador de Alba - TOPS for the day.

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Indy Pro 2000 will be first out on the track Friday morning for their practice. They then qualify for Race 1 a few hours later. This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 holds their practice session for the weekend…

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…and the results are a little less strange than the testing results from Thursday, with the usual fast guys showing up as the usual fast guys.

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Here is the order of speed for the Indy Pro 2000 P-1 practice, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Louis Foster [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.9821s for a speed of 102.920mph

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2 - Kiko Porto [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:19.2627s for a speed of 102.555mph

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3 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 01:19.2995s for a speed of 102.508mph

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4 - Enaam Ahmed, Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:19.3240s for a speed of 102.476mph

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5 - Nolan Siegel [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:19.5660s for a speed of 102.164mph

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6 - Wyatt Brichacek, Exclusive Autosport
7 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing
8 - Braden Eves, Jay Howard Driver Development
9 - Reece Gold, Juncos Hollinger Racing
10 - Josh Green [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

11 - Jordan Missig [R], Pabst Racing
12 - Jonathan Browne [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
13 - Salvador de Alba [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - no time

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Notable:

• Louis Foster on top is normal but the outlier in the TOP FIVE is still Kiko Porto, until one remembers that in his USF2000 career Kiko had a P2 and a WIN at Mid-Ohio, so he knows and likes the track.

• Nolan Siegel is coming off another foray in SportsCar racing as one of the few current IndyCar drivers to show up at Watkins Glen for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, last weekend. This extracurricular activity makes him a much more well-rounded driver.

• The other outlier in this practice is Josh Green being in the bottom half of the review. Josh has been very hot lately. We’ll be watching his qualifying session closely.

• Test-topper Salvador de Alba put in no time during the session

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Louie Foster - TOPS for the practice

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Indy Pro 2000 will have their first qualifying session later this morning. Next up, USF2000 holds their practice…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 holds their practice session for the weekend…

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…and one team asserts themselves, laying down the gauntlet.

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Here is the order of speed for the USF2000 P-1 practice, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Nicholas d’Orlando [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:22.6827s for a speed of 98.313mph

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2 - Viktor Andersson [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:22.9223s for a speed of 98.029mph

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3 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of strong text01:23.0661s for a speed of 97.859mph

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4 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:23.1351s for a speed of 97.778mph

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5 - Thomas Nepveu, DEForce Racing - time of 01:23.1835s for a speed of 97.721mph

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6 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports
7 - Myles Rowe, Pabst Racing
8 - Jace Denmark, Pabst Racing
9 - Billy Frazer, Exclusive Autosport
10 - Jagger Jones [R], Cape Motorsports

11 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing
12 - Christian Weir, Turn 3 Motorsports
13 - Dylan Christie, DEForce Racing
14 - Spike Kohlbecker, Turn 3 Motorsports
15 - Jacob Douglas [R], Exclusive Autosport
16 - Nicky Hays [R], Cape Motorsports
17 - Jorge Garciarce [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
18 - Jackson Lee, Cape Motorsports
19 - Danny Dyszelski [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
20 - Evagoras Papasavvas [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• Georgia-based team Velocity Racing Development put all three of their cars on top, with Nicolas d’Orlando, newly arrived form USF Juniors, laying down the fastest time yet for the weekend. Nikita Johnson is similarly newly arrived from the Juniors, but Viktor Andersson started the season in USF2000 and has been middling, at best. The presence of Nicolas and Nikita on the team seems to have helped the young Swede up his game.

• Right behind the VRD trio is newbie Lochie Hughes from Australian F4, showing great in a new car to him on a new track to him. This guy will be fascinating to watch, this weekend.

• The rest of the TOP TEN are the usual suspects with Bijoy Garg and Christian Weir pushed out by the two new guys from the Juniors.

• As promised, both Joey Brienza and Maxwell Jamieson were here for the test sessions only, and the field is now down to 20 cars.

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Nicolas d’Orlando - fastest USF2000 kid of the weekend, so far.

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USF2000 will qualify for the weekend later this morning. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 holds qualifying for Race 1…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday morning at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 qualifies for Race 1 of the weekend…

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Whenever time permits, the Road to Indy likes to give a series a separate qualifying session for each race, so as to let teams have the opportunity to make changes to the car as the track changes. Such will be the case with Indy Pro 2000 this weekend, given a separate qually session for each of their two races.

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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 - Louis Foster [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.2678s for a speed of 103.859mph

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P2 - Nolan Siegel [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.3576s for a speed of 103.740mph

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Row 2

P3 - Kiko Porto [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.3912s for a speed of 103.695mph

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P4 - Wyatt Brichacek, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.5274s for a speed of 103.515mph

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Row 3

P5 - Salvador de Alba [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:18.5564s for a speed of 103.477mph

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P6 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 01:18.6282s for a speed of 103.383mph

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Row 4

P7 - Josh Green [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P8 - Reece Gold, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Row 5

P9 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing
P10 - Enaam Ahmed, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Row 6

P11 - Jordan Missig [R], Pabst Racing
P12 - Jonathan Browne [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Braden Eves, Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• DEForce Racing and Exclusive Autosport steal the first two rows, with extra effort from Kiko Porto and Wyatt Brichacek - both over-achieving, this weekend. Despite all his success, this is actually Louie Foster’s first Road to Indy pole.

• Salvador de Alba does his part for Jay Howard Driver Development but Braden Eves fell flat on his face and ends up last. This is so bizarre.

• The boys from Juncos Hollinger also made it tough for themselves, uncharacteristically. They both should be TOP SIX on any weekend.

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Pole-sitter Louis Foster:

USF Pro 2000

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This grid is scheduled to start racing on Saturday, mid-morning. As Louie said, the IP2K gang will qualify later today for Race 2. Next up, the USF2000 kids hold their qually session…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday morning at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 qualifies for Race 1 of the weekend…

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Because of time constraints, USF2000 will only get this one qualifying session to affect the grid of all three of their races, this weekend. That makes the session even more important to get right.
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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 - Myles Rowe, Pabst Racing - time of 01:22.0932s for a speed of 99.019mph

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P2 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports - time of 01:22.1464s for a speed of 98.955mph

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Row 2

P3 - Jace Denmark, Pabst Racing - time of 01:22.2070s for a speed of 98.882mph

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P4 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:22.2123s for a speed of 98.876mph

Row 3

P5 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development - time of 01:22.2439s for a speed of 98.838mph

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P6 - Billy Frazer, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.2633s for a speed of 98.814mph

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Row 4

P7 - Dylan Christie, DEForce Racing
P8 - Jacob Douglas [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 5

P9 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing
P10 - Jagger Jones [R], Cape Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Thomas Nepveu, DEForce Racing
P12 - Christian Weir, Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Spike Kohlbecker, Turn 3 Motorsports
P14 - Viktor Andersson [R], Velocity Racing Development

Row 8

P15 - Nicky Hays [R], Cape Motorsports
P16 - Nicholas d’Orlando [R], Velocity Racing Development

Row 9

P17 - Jackson Lee, Cape Motorsports
P18 - Danny Dyszelski [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 10

P19 - Evagoras Papasavvas [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P20 - Jorge Garciarce [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• The speeds increased a great deal in qualifying. Nicolas d’Orlando’s time in practice was eclipsed by the TOP TWELVE drivers. This is Myles’ 3rd pole this year and it is no surprise that the series points leader is right next to him. This should be a great start.

• Lochie Hughes is continuing to impress. His F4 experience has taught him a great deal, it seems.

• The outlier in this TOP TEN is Jacob Douglas who typically doesn’t make TOP TEN, but he was faster than the next four guys who typically do.

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Myles Rowe speaks:

USF2000 Series

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This race is scheduled for late this afternoon. Next up, the Stadium super Truck practice and qualify…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - The Stadium Super Truck practice and qualify for Race 1…

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The trucks spent an hour out there practicing and then qualifying for their first race of the weekend, to be run on Saturday afternoon.

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Here is the way the SSTs qualified for Race 1 of the weekend:

1 - Gavin Harlien
2 - Robert Stout
3 - Ben Maier
4 - Cory Winner
5 - Max Gordon
6 - Zoey Edenholm
7 - Bill Hynes

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SST races are gridded in reverse order of qualifying so here is the Grid for Race 1:

Row 1

Pole - Bill Hynes
P2 - Zoey Edenholm

Row 2

P3 - Max Gordon
P4 - Cory Winner

Row 3

P5 - Ben Maier
P6 - Robert Stout

Row 4

P7 - Gavin Harlien

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Notable:

• The Previous race WINNERS in the field are Gavin Harlien and Robert Stout and we fully expect them to move swiftly from the back to the front, but they may have a hard time getting by young Max Gordon - son of the series founder Robby Gordon, and a superb off-roader already.

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Fastest qualifier Gavin Harlien

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Race 1 for the series is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, right after the IndyCars qualify. Next up, the Indy Pro 2000 gang hold their 2nd qually session of the day…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 holds their 2nd qually session…

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The IP2K gang got in their qualifying session for Race 2 and repeating his pole position was points-leader Louis Foster for Exclusive Autosport.

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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 - Louis Foster [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.4328s for a speed of 103.640mph

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P2 - Kiko Porto [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.5731s for a speed of 103.455mph

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Row 2

P3 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing - time of 01:18.6033s for a speed of 103.416mph

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P4 - Reece Gold, Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:18.6739s for a speed of 103.323mph

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Row 3

P5 - Enaam Ahmed, Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:18.6761s for a speed of 103.320mph

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P6 - Nolan Siegel [R], DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.7668s for a speed of 103.201mph

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Row 4

P7 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
P8 - Wyatt Brichacek, Exclusive Autosport

Row 5

P9 - Salvador de Alba [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P10 - Braden Eves, Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 6

P11 - Josh Green [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P12 - Jordan Missig [R], Pabst Racing

Row 7

P13 - Jonathan Browne [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

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Notable:

• To get his 2nd pole of his RTI career Louis didn’t have to go as fast as he did in the Q-1 session, but he still put in the 4th fastest time of the day. The P1 starting spot is of extreme value at a track like Mid-Ohio, where passing is so difficult.

• Yuven Sundaramoorthy’s previous best starting spot this year has been 5th, so this is a huge improvement for the Wisconsin native. If he can get a good jump on Louis, he might be able to get a WIN out of this. It would be his first WIN this season.

• The two Juncos Hollinger guys also had a big improvement over the Q-1 session. This is a lot more like what we expect of them.

• Braden Eves is also better than the Q-1 session but still not in the half of the field he should be in. He typically struggles at Mid-Ohio but in 2020 he also managed a WIN here.

Braden Eves

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The race for this grid is scheduled for mid-morning on Saturday. Next up, the Indy lights hold their practice…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - The Indy Lights hold practice…

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The Lights will have this one session before they qualify for the Sunday race.

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

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1 - Hunter McElrea [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 1:13.6126s for a speed of 110.427mph

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2 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Andretti Steinbrenner Racing - time of 1:13.9189s for a speed of 109.969mph

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3 - Kyffin Simpson [R], TJ Speed Motorsports - time of 1:13.9679s for a speed of 109.896mph

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4 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports - time of 1:13.9751s for a speed of 109.886mph

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5 - Matthew Brabham, Andretti Autosport - time of 1:14.1474s for a speed of 109.630mph

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6 - Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosport
7 - Benjamin Pedersen, GRG w/HMD Motorsports
8 - Linus Lundqvist, HMD Motorsports
9 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports
10 - James Roe [R], TJ Speed Motorsports

11 - Christian Bogle, HMD Motorsports
12 - Ernie Francis, Jr. [R], Force Indy
13 - Antonio Serravalle, HMD Motorsports

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Notable:

• Hunter leads the Andretti squad which managed to top all of the HMD squad in this practice. Hunter was the only guy to TOP 110mph on speed.

• P2 Christian Rasmussen is coming off his first series WIN for 2022 at Road America.

• This is a great speed for Kyffin Simpson - maybe the best he has shown since moving up to the lights. Let’s see if it holds over the weekend.

• Benjamin Pedersen is coming off a very nice test in an IndyCar at Sebring for Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he bested the three Rahal Letterman Lanigan cars on speed in the afternoon session.

Benjamin Pedersen

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Hunter McElrea - TOPS in practice

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The Lights will qualify on Saturday midday for Sunday’s race. Next up, the IndyCars finally get in their first practice session…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio - The IndyCars come out for the P-1 practice…

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…and Josef Newgarden leads the parade for Team Penske.

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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 01:07.0549s for a speed of 121.226mph

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2 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:07.2610s for a speed of 120.855mph

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3 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP - time of 01:07.3171s for a speed of 120.754mph

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4 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:07.3720s for a speed of 120.655mph

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5 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:07.4998s for a speed of 120.427mph

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6 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP
7 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport
8 - David Malukas [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports
9 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
10 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske

11 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises
12 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport
13 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
14 - Will Power, Team Penske
15 - Takuma Sato, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
16 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
17 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
18 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
19 - Devlin DeFrancesco [R], Andretti Steinbrenner
20 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan

21 - Callum Ilott [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
22 - Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
23 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
24 - Christian Lundegaard [R], Rahal Letterman Lanigan
25 - Simona De Silvestro, Paretta Autosport
26 - Tatiana Calderon [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises
27 - Jimmie Johnson, Chip Ganassi Racing

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Notable:

• Newgarden is the defending race champion and he’s WON here twice - 2021 and 2017.

• This is a great mix in the TOP FIVE and even the TOP TEN, with Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi and Arrow McLaren SP all getting in on the action. Even AJ Foyt is TOP ELEVEN with Kyle Kirkwood. Struggling is Rahal Letterman Lanigan and to a lesser extent Ed Carpenter Racing.

• The real outlier and surprise performer was top rookie David Malukas for Dale Coyne who was TOP FIVE for almost the entire session, leading it at times and only falling to P8 at the very end. But David has a P2 and P3 from Indy Pro 2000 here, two P2s from Formula Regional Americas here, and two P3s from Indy Lights here. David loves the track and knows how to make it work.

David Malukas

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Josef Newgarden - TOPS in P-1

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The IndyCars will hold the P-2 session on Saturday morning, just after the Indy Lights hold their own P-2 session, then the big cars will qualify mid-afternoon. Next up, USF2000 holds the first race of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 8…
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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Mid-Ohio - USF2000 holds their first race of the weekend…

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…and taking his third WIN of the season - and the points lead in the bargain - was pole-sitter Myles Rowe for Pabst Racing. Coming in P2 in a stunning debut was Australian new guy on the block Lochie Hughes for Jay Howard Driver development from his P4 start while P3 went to Pabst Racing’s Jace Denmark from a P3 start. HOWEVER, post-race technical inspection changed the results. (see “Notable” below).

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Myles got away cleanly at the start with P2 starter Michael d’Orlando for Cape motorsports right on his tail, while Lochie Hughes immediately jumped on Jace in P3 and took it from him. Nikita Johnson for Velocity Racing Development got caught out and dropped from P5 to P7 as Jacob Douglas for Exclusive Autosport moved from P8 to P6 - making a great start for the rookie even better. On lap 2 Michael tried a move around Myles but muffed it, allowing Lochie and Jace to slip past him, and put him in P4. Nikita took P6 from Jacob and Jagger Jones for Cape Motorsports followed through, putting Jacob back in P8. Nicky Hays for the Capes went past Bijoy Garg for DEForce to grab P11 while Christian Weir for Turn 3 Motorsports took P9 from Dylan Christie for DEForce.

Lap 3 saw Spike Kohlbecker for Turn 3, Jorge Garciarce for Jay Howard and Nicholas d’Orlando for VRD all come together and spin off in Turn 4 while battling for P11. A full-course caution was called to retrieve them. Nepveu would rejoin while Jorge was out and Nicolas needed a new front wing, rejoining a lap down. On the lap 4 restart Billy Frazer for Cape Motorsports and Michael d’ Orlando fought for the P4 spot with Billy spinning out and dropping to P11 while Michael lost his front wing and, like his brother, lost a lap getting a new one. On lap 6 Nikita moved past Jace to take over P3 while Billy moved past Bijoy Garg to take P10. Lap 7 saw Frazer next take P9 from Nicky Hays. On lap 8 Frazer took P8 from Dylan Christie while Hay followed through back into P9. On lap 9 Frazer took P7 from Christian Weir. By this time Myles had set Fastest Lap out front and was over 2 seconds ahead of Lochie Hughes.

On lap 12 Billy moved again, taking P6 from Jacob Douglas. Lap 13 saw an intense battle for the P2, P3 and P4 spots develop. on lap 14 Nikita tried to defend against Jace reclaiming P3 from him and he went off with damage, going to the pits never to return. Lap 15 saw Myles now some 6 seconds ahead of Lochie who was defending against a hard-charging Jace Denmark. On lap 16 Micheal d’Orlando set Fastest Lap from a lap down to secure a better spot in Race 2. Lap 19 saw Billy Frazer battling with Jagger Jones for the P4 spot as the two ran side-by-side through four turns, with Billy emerging with the pass. One lap later Myles crossed the finish line 8.7 seconds ahead of Locie, who was only 0.14 seconds ahead of Jace.

A great race with all but the WINNER in contention to the final turn.

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Notable:

• During technical inspection post-race, Lochie Hughes’ USF-22 was found to fail tech and his P2 was lost. He finished last, instead, advancing Jace Denmark to P2 and Billy Frazer to P3.

• While Myles’ performance was dominating out front, the real fun show was watching Billy Frazer regained all he had lost in his bump with Michael d’Orlando. This is Myles’ 3rd WIN this season and 4th in his Road to Indy career. Unofficially, this gives Rowe the points lead with 243 to Michael d’Orlando’s 224.

• This was a very good race for Jacob Douglas with a good qually and some hard knocks that led to his best finish ever in P6.

• 14-year-old Danny Dyszelski for Jay Howard also had a great race, going from P19 to P10 at the end, and earning the Tilton Hard Charger award.

• Either his Fastest Lap set during the race or his 2nd fastest lap in qualifying gave Michael d’Orlando pole position for Race 2 tomorrow, with Myles next to him in P2.

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Your initial happy podium - That’s Lochie Hughes on the left in P2. He would lose that position in post-race tech. That’s Myles Rowe in P1 in the middle and that’s Jace Denmark on the right. He would advancer to P2 after Lochie was removed. Not pictured is Billy Frazer who is now P3:

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USF2000 will hold Race 2 on Saturday, mid-morning. The grid for this has been set and is in the following post…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Friday night at Mid-Ohio - The grid has been set for USF2000 Race 2…

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…using a combination of the driver’s best Race 1 lap or the driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap - whichever is better.

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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 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports

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P2 - Myles Rowe, Pabst Racing

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Row 2

P3 - Jace Denmark, Pabst Racing

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P4 - Nikita Johnson [R], Velocity Racing Development

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Row 3

P5 - Dylan Christie, DEForce Racing

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P6 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Row 4

P7 - Billy Frazer, Exclusive Autosport
P8 - Thomas Nepveu, DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing
P10 - Jagger Jones [R], Cape Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Jacob Douglas [R], Exclusive Autosport
P12 - Christian Weir, Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - Nicky Hays [R], Cape Motorsports
P14 - Spike Kohlbecker, Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 8

P15 - Nicholas d’Orlando [R], Velocity Racing Development
P16 - Viktor Andersson [R], Velocity Racing Development

Row 9

P17 - Jackson Lee, Cape Motorsports
P18 - Jorge Garciarce [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 10

P19 - Danny Dyszelski [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P20 - Evagoras Papasavvas [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• We now know that it was Michael’s 2nd best qualifying lap that got him this pole. Both he and Myles are very aggressive drivers and he will have to stay ahead of Rowe without taking each other out in order to have a hope of recapturing his points lead. Should be fun!

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Michael d’Orlando - on the pole for Race 2

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This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - The Indy Lights hold their P-2 practice session…

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…and Hunter McElrea leads an Andretti Autosport TOP THREE

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

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1 - Hunter McElrea [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 01:12.1490s for a speed of 112.667mph

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2 - Matthew Brabham, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:12.5394s for a speed of 112.060mph

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3 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Andretti Steinbrenner Racing - time of 01:12.5893s for a speed of 111.983mph

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4 - Linus Lundqvist, HMD Motorsports - time of 01:12.6724s for a speed of 111.855mph

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5 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports - time of 01:12.7477s for a speed of 111.740mph

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6 - Benjamin Pedersen, GRG w/HMD Motorsports
7 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports
8 - Christian Bogle, HMD Motorsports
9 - Kyffin Simpson [R], TJ Speed Motorsports
10 - Antonio Serravalle, HMD Motorsports

11 - Ernie Francis, Jr. [R], Force Indy
12 - Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosport
13 - James Roe [R], TJ Speed Motorsports

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Notable:

• Hunter also led the Lights in the P-1 session so he’s got it going on, here.

• The track was a bit treacherous, this morning, due to an overnight rain that washed away a lot of the rubber laid down. It caught out Sting Ray Robb who went off with damage. (We have video below). Sting Ray is okay.

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Hunter McElrea

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Sting Ray Robb goes off:

INDY NXT

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The Lights will come back out to qualify midday today. Next up, the IndyCars hold their own P-2 practice…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio - the IndyCars hold their 2nd practice session for the weekend…

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…in anticipation of qualifying later today.

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

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1 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 1:07.0275s for a speed of 121.276mph

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2 - Will Power, Team Penske - time of 1:07.0309s for a speed of 121.269mph

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3 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 1:07.0614s for a speed of
121.214mph

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4 - David Malukas [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports - time of 1:07.0978s for a speed of 121.149mph

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5 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 1:07.1521s for a speed of 121.051mph

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6 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
7 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP
8 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske
9 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
10 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport

11 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
12 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport
13 - Christian Lundegaard [R], Rahal Letterman Lanigan
14 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
15 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
16 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP
17 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
18 - Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
19 - Callum Ilott [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
20 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises

21 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
22 - Takuma Sato, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
23 - Devlin DeFrancesco [R], Andretti Steinbrenner
24 - Simona De Silvestro, Paretta Autosport
25 - Jimmie Johnson, Chip Ganassi Racing
26 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
27 - Tatiana Calderon [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises

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Notable:

• While Colton took the top spot all eyes were on David Malukas, as the rookie again impressed everyone with his speed out there. Don’t be surprised if the Chicago kid gets into the Fast Twelve or even the Fast Six in qualifying.

• Ed Carpenter Racing found something for Rinus VeeKay and he is much improved as a result, with teammate Conor Daly also just out of the TOP TEN.

• Will Power went off near the end of the session due to a stuck throttle. He was able to kill the engine to prevent damage but caused a red flag that ended the session.

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NTT INDYCAR SERIES

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Colton Herta - TOPS the P-2 session

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The IndyCars will qualify in the early afternoon today. Next up, USF2000 holds Race 2 of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 14…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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

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…and taking his 2nd WIN in a row is Myles Rowe for Pabst Racing from his P2 start. P2 went to pole-sitter Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports while P3 went to Pabst Racing’s Jace Denmark from a P3 start.

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As Michael d’Orlando led the field into Turn 2 on the opening lap Lochie Hughes for Jay Howard Driver Development spun off from P6 and got back on at the tail of the field. In Turn 4 Christian Weir for Turn 3 Motorsports got together with Thomas Nepveu for DEForce Racing, cutting a tire. He would pit for a new one as Nepveu dropped from P8 to P18. On lap 3 Billy Frazer for Exclusive Autosport and Dylan Christie for DEForce came together dramatically, with Dylan doing a 360 all in the air. Billy pitted, out of the race, as the truck collected Dylan under a full-course caution. On the lap 6 restart Myles got the jump on Michael and took P1, with Jace following through to P2. Nicky Hays for Cape Motorsports took P5 from teammate Jagger Jones and Nicholas d’Orlando for Turn 3 took P8 from teammate Spike Kohlbecker.

On lap 7 Jackson Lee for the Capes took P10 from Bijoy Garg for DEForce while Danny Dyszelski for Jay Howard took P12 from Viktor Andersson for Velocity Racing Development. On lap 8 Michael d’Orlando reclaimed P2 from Jace with P4 starter Nikita Johnson for VRD following through into P3 as Myles set Fastest Lap out front. Michael then set his own Fastest Lap on lap 9. On lap 10 Jace reclaimed the P3 spot from Nikita who went off and on in Turn 11. On lap 14 Danny took P11 from Bijoy. On lap 15 Christian Weir set Fastest lap from P16. For the rest of the race Michael and Jace closed tightly on Myles but lap 20 saw Myles take the WIN by a half a second with Jace only 0.22 seconds off Michael.

A great race with a very tight finish!

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Notable:

• This is Myles’ 4th WIN of the season and it extends his points lead over Michael d’Orlando.

• Another good race for 14-year-old Danny Dyszelski who went from P19 to P11. Nicolas d’Orlando went from P15 to P8.

• In only 3 series starts Nikita Johnson is already up to a P4 finish. This kid belongs here.

Nikita Johnson

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Your happy podium - That’s Michael d’Orlando in P2 on the left, Myles Rowe in P1 in the middle and Jace Denmark in P3 on the right:

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The Race 3 podium will be set based on either the driver’s 2nd fastest qualifying lap or the driver’s best Race 2 lap, whichever is fastest. We will bring that to you when it is calculated by Race Control. Next, Indy Pro 2000 holds Race 1 of their weekend. the grid for this is in post # 7…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - Indy Pro 2000 holds Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and it’s officially a blow-out for pole-sitter Louis Foster for Exclusive Autosport. P2 went to P5 starter Salvador De Alba for Jay Howard Driver Development while P3 went to P2 starter Nolan Siegel for DEForce Racing.

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As Louis led the field through Turn 2 Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing spun or was pushed in the turn, going off with damage, but also dropping Braden Eves for Jay Howard and Reece Gold for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Salvador made a great jump in Turn 4 and took P4 from Wyatt Brichacek for Exclusive and then P3 from Kiko Porto for DEForce. The race then went under caution to collect Yuven. Braden pitted for a new wing. He and Reece were able to rejoin without losing a lap, but at the tail end of the field. On the Lap 4 restart Salvador again used Turn 4 to pass Nolan for the P2 spot while Reece took P10 and Braden took P11 from Jonathan Browne for Turn 3 Motorsports. On lap 5 Louie set Fastest lap as he gapped the field by 2.5 seconds. On lap 9 Jonathan Brown got high-centered as he slid off Turn 1 and brought out another caution.

On the lap 11 restart Josh Green for Turn 3 took P6 in Turn 4 from Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri, with Enaam Ahmed for Juncos following through to P7. By lap 12 Louie was again 1.2 seconds out front and going away. On lap 13 Reece and Braden took P9 and P10. For several laps Louie stretched out his lead. On lap 21 Josh Green took P5 from Wyatt in Turn 4. On lap 22 Reece and Braden took P8 and P9. By lap 24 Louie was a full 8 seconds off on his own. Enaam passed Wyatt for P6 and Reece and Braden followed through to P7 and P8.

On the final lap, lap 30, Kiko Porto jumped Nolan in Turn 2 and passed for the P2 spot but Siegel responded in Turn 4 and reclaimed P2, then went hard after Salvador. When Louis crossed the finish line he was a full 14.5 seconds ahead of Sal who was only 0.5 seconds ahead of Nolan.

A blowout in the lead but a lot of great racing behind.

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Notable:

• This is Louis Foster’s 4th WIN in 5 races. He now has a substantial lead in the points and will start on pole for Race 2, late this afternoon.

• The most improved driver in the field has to be Salvador De Alba who comes from Mexican stock cars. In this his first full season of formula cars he is proving this may be where he should have been, all along.

• Great recovery for Reece Gold and Braden Eves who acted like a tag team in moving up from the tail end of the field to finish in P7 and P8 respectively.

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Your happy podium - That’s Salvador De Alba in P2 on the left, Louie Foster in P1 in the middle and Nolan Siegel in P3 on the right:

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Indy Pro 2000 will race again this afternoon as the last on-track activity of the day. Next up, the Indy Lights qualify for Sunday’s race…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - The Indy Lights qualify for their Sunday race…

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…and following two excellent practices for him, Hunter McElrea takes the pole for Andretti Autosport.

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Here is the way the Indy Lights will grid for Season Round 8, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Hunter McElrea [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 01:12.1926s for a speed of 112.599mph

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P2 - Linus Lundqvist, HMD Motorsports - time of 01:12.4218s for a speed of 112.242mph

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Row 2

P3 - Benjamin Pedersen, GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 01:12.4459s for a speed of 112.205mph

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P4 - Matthew Brabham, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:12.4911s for a speed of 112.135mph

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Row 3

P5 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Andretti Steinbrenner Racing - time of 01:12.5129s for a speed of 112.101mph

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P6 - Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:12.6617s for a speed of 111.872mph

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Row 4

P7 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports
P8 - Antonio Serravalle, HMD Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports
P10 - Christian Bogle, HMD Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Ernie Francis, Jr. [R], Force Indy
P12 - Kyffin Simpson [R], TJ Speed Motorsports

Row 7

P13 - James Roe [R], TJ Speed Motorsports

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Notable:

• This is Hunter’s 2nd pole of the season and 5th pole at Mid-Ohio in the Road to Indy. He has 2 previous RTI WINS here, too.

• Very good start for Antonio Serravalle, who usually starts last three.

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Hunter McElrea

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The Lights race is schedule for LIVE broadcast Sunday on Peacock Premium starting at 10:30am EASTERN time. Next up, the IndyCar qualify…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Mid-Ohio - The IndyCars are qualified!..
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…and starting on pole will be Pato O’Ward for Arrow McLaren SP in his first pole of the season.

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Here is the way the IndyCars will grid for Season Round 9, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP - time of 01:06.7054s for a speed of 121.861mph

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P2 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske - time of 01:06.8382s for a speed of 121.619mph

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Row 2

P3 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:07.0262s for a speed of 121.278mph

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P4 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP - time of 01:07.2163s for a speed of 120.935mph

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Row 3

P5 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:07.4047s for a speed of 120.597mph

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P6 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing - time of 01:07.4199s for a speed of 120.570mph

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Row 4

P7 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
P8 - David Malukas [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises
P10 - Callum Ilott [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing

Row 6

P11 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
P12 - Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
P14 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Row 8

P15 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
P16 - Christian Lundegaard [R], Rahal Letterman Lanigan

Row 9

P17 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport
P18 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan

Row 10

P19 - Takuma Sato, Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
P20 - Devlin DeFrancesco [R], Andretti Steinbrenner

Row 11

P21 - Will Power, Team Penske
P22 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing

Row 12

P23 - Dalton Kellett, AJ Foyt Enterprises
P24 - Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan

Row 13

P25 - Simona De Silvestro, Paretta Autosport
P26 - Tatiana Calderon [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises

Row 14

P27 - Jimmie Johnson, Chip Ganassi Racing

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Notable:

• Pato is the 9th different pole-sitter in 9 races so far, this season. Arrow McLaren SP was the only team to get more than one car in the Fast Six.

• The TOP THREE points leaders failed to transfer out of the Q-1 session. Will Power was saddled with a penalty for impeding Helio Castroneves but Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson simply didn’t make the cut. Newgarden was especially peeved, feeling the car had the speed but he couldn’t find a decent clear space on track to use it.

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Pato takes his prize:

Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team

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The IndyCars will have a “warm-up” P-3 session in the morning and then the race is scheduled for broadcast on NBC starting at 12:30pm EASTERN time with concurrent broadcast on Peacock Premium.

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