Round 15: The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Lexington, OH, USA. 1st - 3rd August, 2014.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Mid-Ohio was opened in 1962, as a road course for weekend sports car racing. From 1970 to 1976 it became an event on the US Formula 5000 series calendar. AOWR returned when CART initially raced at Mid-Ohio in 1980. In 1982, the track was bought by road racing enthusiast Jim Trueman, the owner of Red Roof Inns and Mid-Ohio underwent the first of three major refurbishments. CART returned in 1983 racing until 2003. After a 3 year absence from AOWR, Mid-Ohio returned as a venue for the IndyCar series in 2007. This weekend's race will see the 8th running of the race as an IndyCar event.

The original track had 15-turns and was 2.4-miles (3.9 kms) long, running clockwise, with the start line located on the back stretch and the finish line infront of the pits. In 1982, Mid-Ohio underwent its first major refurbishment. Permanent grandstands, new pit garages with spectator balconies, a media/hospitality center, underground tunnels and a new paddock being built.

In 1990, the second refurbishment took place, with a new retaining wall and the entire track resurfaced and widened, allowing for a new alternative 13-turn 2.258 mile (3.634 km) layout, which CART adopted and which is now used by IndyCar.

The track underwent its third refurbishment in 2006, with the entire track being resurfaced again and a 75,000 seat grandstand being built.


Track Layout:


Length: 2.258 mi - 3.634 km
Turns: 13
Lap record: August, 14th 1999. Dario Franchitti, Team Kool Green, Reynard 99i-Honda HRK, 1:05.347 minutes, 124.394 mph - 200.193 km/h.

Last year's winner:
Charlie Kimball
Chip Ganassi Racing
Dallara DW12-Honda

Laps: 90
Distance: 203.22 mi - 327.05 km
Race Time: 1:43:29
Average Speed: 117.825

TV Coverage:
NBCSN
Green flag for both races, 3:00pm ET.

[The Happy Track Fan]

Finally, another permanent road course, and a great one at that. Fantastic layout and spectator track.

Can't wait to be there this weekend. Would have liked to have done 3 days, but will be there all day Saturday and Sunday.

GO HINCH!!!!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Bourdais makes it two poles in a row at a wet Mid-Ohio.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115260

Pos Driver Team/Engine Time Gap
1. Sebastien Bourdais KV/Chevy 1m24.1610s
2. Josef Newgarden Fisher/Honda 1m24.6787s +0.5177s
3. Tony Kanaan Ganassi/Chevy 1m25.0290s +0.8680s
4. Carlos Munoz Andretti/Honda 1m25.3111s +1.1501s
5. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti/Honda 1m25.4459s +1.2849s
6. Will Power Penske/Chevy 1m26.1692s +2.0082s
7. Graham Rahal Rahal/Honda 1m33.3244s Round 2
8. Justin Wilson Coyne/Honda 1m33.3948s Round 2
9. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt/Honda 1m33.5587s Round 2
10. Carlos Huertas Coyne/Honda 1m33.6635s Round 2
11. Juan Pablo Montoya Penske/Chevy 1m34.7103s Round 2
12. Mike Conway Carpenter/Chevy 1m34.8194s Round 2
13. Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt/Honda 1m39.4755s Group 1
14. Sebastian Saavedra KV/Chevy 1m39.0743s Group 2
15. Helio Castroneves Penske/Chevy 1m39.8694s Group 1
16. Marco Andretti Andretti/Honda 1m39.8368s Group 2
17. James Hinchcliffe Andretti/Honda 1m41.5197s Group 1
18. Jack Hawksworth Herta/Honda 1m40.0797s Group 2
19. Ryan Briscoe Ganassi/Chevy Group 1
20. Charlie Kimball Ganassi/Chevy 1m40.8624s Group 2
21. Takuma Sato Foyt/Honda Group 1
22. Scott Dixon Ganassi/Chevy Group 2

[D.R.T.]

KV really coming on strong.

What's the forecast for Sunday? More rain?

[Yannick]

The drivers going really wild racing lines in the wet qualifying session to avoid the slippery rubbered-in parts of the normal racing line was a lot of fun to watch. And as it dried, the lines they used were different again.

I guess pole sitter Sebastien Bourdais really benefitted from his 24 hours of Le Mans experiences in this session because when it rains in that event, and then the track dries, the drivers have to find their lines in a similar fashion until they can get back to the dry line. Yet, since they are racing for the whole day there as opposed to here, they have to go through the whole drying process which can take a while, and it might even happen several times during the 24 hours.

Who else amongst the drivers in the current IndyCar field has started at the 24 hours of Le Mans before?

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was a messy start, as Newgarden and Kanaan collide.

Helio never made it but had to come into the pits with what seemed like an electrical problem before the race started.

The first caution of the day.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Helio's back out but he's about 5 laps down and Bourdais leads.

[bjohnsonsmith]

RH-R off but gets back on the track, though now a lap down and he had that pit speeding penalty. It's certainly not his day, so far.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Congrats to Scott Dixon on his 5th win at Mid-Ohio, from last on the grid and with just enough fuel, as he runs out 100yds or so after the finish line.

[bjohnsonsmith]

For the record:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115281

Results - 90 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Engine Time/Gap
1. Scott Dixon Ganassi/Chevrolet 1h52m45.2043s
2. Sebastien Bourdais KV/Chevrolet +5.3864s
3. James Hinchcliffe Andretti/Honda +7.3335s
4. Carlos Munoz Andretti/Honda +9.3551s
5. Graham Rahal Rahal/Honda +11.8508s
6. Will Power Penske/Chevrolet +15.9769s
7. Charlie Kimball Ganassi/Chevrolet +16.8533s
8. Ryan Briscoe Ganassi/Chevrolet +17.502 s
9. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt/Honda +18.6160s
10. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti/Honda +20.0766s
11. Juan Pablo Montoya Penske/Chevrolet +21.7366s
12. Josef Newgarden Fisher/Honda +22.0987s
13. Mike Conway Carpenter/Chevrolet +23.8352s
14. Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt/Honda +29.806 s
15. Justin Wilson Coyne/Honda +44.6415s
16. Jack Hawksworth Herta/Honda +58.7211s
17. Carlos Huertas Coyne/Honda +1m02.5847s
18. Takuma Sato Foyt/Honda -1 lap
19. Helio Castroneves Penske/Chevrolet -4 laps

Retirements:
Sebastian Saavedra KV/Chevrolet 24 laps
Tony Kanaan Ganassi/Chevrolet 0 laps
Marco Andretti Andretti/Honda 0 laps

[Marcus666]

Freaking heartbreaking for Newgarden. That was like Fontana 2012, Hungarian GP 1997 etc.

But impressive win by Dixon! Thought Bourdais had it in the bag for a while. Surprised over the lacking pace in the Penske cars (Power and JPM).