More Laps, Less Banking: What To Know About INDYCAR Race At Mid-Ohio

More Laps, Less Banking: What To Know About INDYCAR Race At Mid-Ohio

NTT INDYCAR SERIES: More Laps, Less Banking – What To Know About INDYCAR Race At Mid-Ohio

As INDYCAR gears up for another road course race, it’s heading to a venue that has been part of the circuit’s lineup since 1980 – the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Located just west of Lexington, Ohio, which sits halfway between Columbus and Akron, this 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course hosts a variety of racing events, from sports cars to open-wheel vehicles, motorcycles, and stock cars. The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced here from 2013 to 2021, while the trucks made their appearance from 2022 to 2023 ph365 login ph.

Here’s what fans need to know as they prepare for race weekend: the INDY NXT race is scheduled to start at 10:36 a.m. ET on Sunday, running for 35 laps (or 55 minutes) on FS1, followed by the NTT INDYCAR race at 1:22 p.m. ET on FOX, which will cover 90 laps.

Is the Race 90 Laps This Year?

Yes, indeed! After being 80 laps for the last four years, the race is reverting back to 90 laps this year, reminiscent of the format from 2013 to 2019. The reasoning behind this change? It ensures that each driver will need to make three pit stops during the race, as the fuel window typically ranges from 26 to 28 laps.

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What If It Goes Green Most of the Way?

In a perfect scenario with sufficient caution flags, the race could still be run as a two-stop strategy. However, relying on multiple laps of caution at Mid-Ohio is a gamble. For instance, last year featured only one caution early in the race. The previous year had six caution flags for a total of 17 laps, but that was an outlier. In 10 of the 12 races leading up to 2024, there were no more than two cautions during a race at Mid-Ohio.

How Does Alex Palou Perform at Mid-Ohio?

The burning question is whether Alex Palou will clinch his seventh win here. He triumphed in the 2023 race at Mid-Ohio and arguably should have won the previous year after starting from pole, but a sluggish pit stop allowed Pato O’Ward to take the lead and subsequently win. O’Ward has only secured one victory since that Mid-Ohio race in 2024.

Currently, Alex Palou holds the record for the most wins in the current INDYCAR season, making him the clear favorite for Mid-Ohio.

Who Are the Other Favorites Based on Recent Results?

Despite O’Ward’s victory at Mid-Ohio last year, that was his first weekend of strong performance from start to finish, having started second and ultimately crossing the finish line first. “I’m thrilled to return to Mid-Ohio to defend my win from last year,” said O’Ward, fresh off a disappointing 17th-place finish at Road America. phwin game “This is an incredible track, and I believe we can secure another victory this weekend. We need to bounce back from Road America and aim for a top position here.”

Scott McLaughlin has one win (2022) and three consecutive top-five finishes. Scott Dixon, the driver with the most wins at this track, has six victories, with his last win dating back to 2019. He has also finished in the top five in 14 of his 21 starts here jilipark win. Notably, this race will feature nine former winners: O’Ward (2024), Palou (2023), McLaughlin (2022), Josef Newgarden (twice, most recently in 2021), Colton Herta (2020, Race 2), Will Power (2020, Race 1), Dixon (six times, last in 2019), Alexander Rossi (2018), and Graham Rahal (2015).

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Although Kyle Kirkwood isn’t on this list, he boasts eight wins at Mid-Ohio across various series. Additionally, both the Penske and Ganassi organizations have 12 wins each at this venue.

Is There a Sentimental Favorite?

Absolutely! The Rahal family has strong ties to Ohio, with Graham Rahal raised about an hour from the track, making this “Rahal country.” Co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Bobby Rahal, will be giving the command to start the engines. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Graham Rahal could snag a victory here member register? 50 deposit online casino His last INDYCAR win was in 2017, and he previously won at Mid-Ohio in 2015. This is also a home race for Meyer Shank Racing, located in Pataskala, Ohio, about 55 miles from the track.

Is There Anything New About the Course?

Yes, there are changes! In the esses starting at turn four, the banking has been reduced from four to two degrees by removing 520 feet of track surface and excavating up to 18 inches along the outer edge. This area was repaved in October 2023, and the runoff area at Turn 4 has also been reshaped. “It appears much flatter with less banking, and it looks a bit more open, but I believe it’s going to be the same for everyone,” Graham Rahal commented. “We’ll all be experiencing this new layout for the first time together.” Given that the track was repaved just 18 months ago, I expect it to be quite fast, but I hope it doesn’t adversely affect the racing. The end of the back straight is a significant braking zone, so if it’s more open, it could change the dynamics.”

Are There Any New Drivers This Week?

No new drivers are joining – the same 27 drivers have participated all year (with the Indy 500 featuring an additional seven). However, one notable change is that Kyle Moyer, formerly Scott McLaughlin’s strategist, will strategize for Arrow McLaren driver Nolan Siegel for the first time. Moyer previously served as team manager for Penske’s INDYCAR program and was let go following an issue with the attenuator seal at Indianapolis.

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How Busy Is the Next Month in INDYCAR?

It’s going to be extremely busy! This race kicks off a stretch of five races in four weeks for the series. After Mid-Ohio, the teams will head to Iowa Speedway for a doubleheader weekend. Following that, they will race on the street course in Toronto—the last street course of the season—before wrapping up with a road course event at Laguna Seca.

Can Anyone Catch Palou During This Stretch?

Theoretically, yes! However, realistically, it will be quite challenging. With six wins this year, Palou holds a 93-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood, who has the other three INDYCAR victories this season. Palou is also 111 points ahead of Pato O’Ward, while no other driver is within 150 points. With eight races remaining this season, Kirkwood would need to gain 11 to 12 points per race on Palou to close the gap. O’Ward would need to gain 13 to 14 points. While this isn’t impossible, one of them will have to match Palou’s performance over the latter half of the season and hope that Palou doesn’t finish strongly in a few races.

What are your predictions for the race at Mid-Ohio?