Papaya Domination

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Some quick thoughts on Mid-Ohio:

Pato O’Ward led Arrow McLaren’s total domination of the weekend. Christian Lundgaard won the pole, but O’Ward passed him on track on lap 42. The duo led a combined 86 of the 90 laps. In addition to O’Ward and Lundgaard finishing 1-2, Nolan Siegel finished 10th.

O’Ward becomes the sixth different driver to win a race in 2026

The most intriguing part of the race was the pit strategy. The entire field opted for a three-stop race, but some pitted at the beginning of the window, and others waited until the end of the cycle. In the end, the early pitters had the4 advantage.

The lack of a caution flag and having cars pretty strung out made for a less than exciting television broadcast for the casual viewer. more on the broadcast later.

Why Rinus VeeKay is not with a bigger, more competitive team is puzzling. He made the Fast Six in qualifying, and he backed it up today by finishing fourth. VeeKay had a good shot at a podium spot for awhile.

Kyle Kirkwood’s early pit stop helped gain his first road course podium. Today was one of Andretti Global’s best days on a natural road course in quite a while. Teammate Will Power started third, dropped back at the start and recovered to sixth at the finish. Kirkwood returns to second in the point standings, just 56 points behind Alex Palou, who finished fifth.

After another strong qualifying effort, David Malukas didn’t have the pace to contend with the McLarens. A long pit stop caused by a balky fuel hose dropped to eighth. Malukas drops to fourth in the standings, just 66 points behind the leader.

Hats off the Scott McLaughlin, who toughed it out all afternoon after his cool suit failed on lap 3. He did finish 16th after starting 23rd.

Lundgaard made the statement he needed to this weekend. I don’t understand why McLaren is letting him go. Tony Kanaan said after the race that the 2027 lineup hasn’t been decided yet, and that Lundgaard is “very much in play.”

I don’t understand why they are playing with Lundgaard’s feelings like this. He is third in points, won two races and a pole. What more does he have to do?

FOX Sports

The nice thing about attending races is you don’t have to watch the race broadcast. The booth does a fine job analyzing the race and keeping viewers informed of what is happening, but several things about the presentation are annoying.

It seems that there was a commercial break every three laps. At times it felt as if they would come out of a break, say, “How ya doin’?” and go to another break. The last break seemed so long that I wasn’t sure they would get back in time for the checkered flag.

Townsend Bell was particularly annoying today. He talked about when cars would “box,” his constant soccer references were more numerous than necessary, his obsession with Davidf Malukas, an American (who knew?), drove me up the wall.

That will do it for me this weekend. I’m still recovering from a bug I picked up at the end of my trip to Ireland. Thanks for following See you in Nashville.

Lundgaard Pole Ends Palou Streak

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Christian Lundgaaqrd won the pole for tomorrow’s Honda Indy200 at Mid-Ohio as he and teammate Pato O’Ward locked out the front row. The pole for the Danish driver ends a streak of five consecutive poles for Alex Palou, but another Palou streak also fell today.

Palou missed the Fast Six for the first time since Long Beach in 2024. He starts eighth tomorrow.

The Fast Six was a surprise not only for who advanced, but for who didn’t advance. In addition to Palou, Kyle Kirkwood had been fast both yesterday and today but will roll off 10th Sunday. Josef Newgarden was strong in rounds 1 but faded to ninth.

The final round saw Lundgaard, O’Ward, Will Power, David Malukas, Rinus VeeKay, and Christian Rasmussen competing for the pole.

Row 1- Lundgaard, O’Ward- teammates for now, with Lundgaard not returning in 2027

Row 2- Power, Malukas- Malukas replaced Power at Team Penske

Row 3- Rasmussen, VeeKay- Rasmussen replaced VeeKay at ECR

Notes

VeeKay continues to outperform his equipment. Imagine what he could do on a stronger team.

Malukas has an opportunity to gain some significant points on Palou tomorrow. Kirkwood will have to get past Palou to pick up some ground.

Lundgaard won the last race at Road America, and he starts on pole tomorrow. It is rare to see a driver other than Palou these days who backs up what they did in the previous race.

Even though Scott Dixon did not advance, and probably wouldn’t have, his blocking penalty on Romain Grosjean was justified. Dixon is having a difficult year. I hope the change of scenery next season will get him back up to speed.

That will do it for me for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a pre-race post, then post tire selections and have a wrap up after the race. Thanks for following along today.

Results

Lundgaard Tops Practice 2; Qualifying Groups

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A few surprises in practice two this morning Sting Ray Robb in fourth despite a spin which brought out a red flag, and Will Power dropping to 13th while teammates Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson stayed in the top 10.

Alex Palou was eighth fastest in the final practice before qualifying begins at 2:30 pm Eastern.

Results

Qualifying Groups

Mid-Ohio Saturday

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Today’s schedule:

Another warm day is on tap for IndyCar at Mid-Ohio with a chance of afternoon storms that might play a factor in qualifying.

Friday was a strong day for Willl Power and Kyle Kirkwood, but they need another strong showing today to stay ahead of Alex Palou.

The race seems to be secondary to all the Silly Season talk going through the paddock. The big news yesterday on that front is that Christian Lundgaard revealed that he is not allowed to talk to other teams right now, even though it is apparent that he will not return to Arrow McLaren. Racing is a cruel business.

Sunday could be the final chance for either Kyle Kirkwood or David Malukas to gain ground on Palou. A Palou win will make it hard for anyone to catch him. Palou’s run over the last two seasons has been so dominant that fans got excited when Kirkwood pulled within one race of Palou.

I’m going with Will Power this weekend. He looked very strong yesterday, and I think he will finally justify Andretti’s faith in him.

If you are at the track this weekend, please seek shade, hydrate, and take advantage of the cooling stations the track has set up.

I’ll be back after /practice and have another report after qualifying

Andretti 1-2 in Practice 1

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Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood took the top two spots in Practice 1 for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio this afternoon. Points Alex Palou finished third.

Arrow McLaren had a good day also, with Christian Lundgaard fourth, Pato O’Ward fifth, and Nolan Siegel seventh.

Rinus VeeKay posted the sixth best time.

The hot humid weather made conditions difficult for both drivers and crew members.

Kirkwood only needed 14 laps to set the second fastest lap. Andretti teammate Marcus Ericsson was eighth quickest in the session.

Practice stopped twice for red flags. In the 40-minute segment Marcus Armstrong slid oof track and in tot he tire barrier, damaging the left front suspension. In the second group practice Romain Grosjean spun in turn 9 and could not get the car refired.

Results

Armstrong will drive the No. 60 MSR Indy car starting in 2027

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Silly Season Week continues.

From Meyer Shank Racing.

Pataskala, Ohio (July 3, 2026) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) announced today that Marcus Armstrong has signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep the New Zealander with the organization beginning in 2027. As part of the agreement, Armstrong will transition to the team’s No. 60 MSR Honda for the start of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
Since joining Meyer Shank Racing in 2025, Armstrong has established himself as one of the series’ brightest young talents. In his first season with the team, he earned his second career NTT INDYCAR SERIES podium at Iowa Speedway while recording 11 top-10 finishes, showcasing the consistency and speed that have made him a championship contender.Armstrong has continued that upward trajectory throughout the 2026 campaign. With seven races still remaining on the schedule, the 25-year-old has already collected five top-10 finishes and delivered one of the standout drives of the season in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. After charging through the field after starting 16th,
Armstrong battled for the lead in the closing laps before crossing the finish line in fifth place in one of the closest finishes in race history.
His pace has been evident throughout the season, including a heartbreaking near-victory at Road America where he was on his way to claim his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win before mechanical issues ended his day with fewer than five laps remaining. Despite the setback, Armstrong has consistently demonstrated the speed, racecraft, and determination that have made him a cornerstone of MSR’s future.
“I’m proud to announce a multi-year partnership with MSR,” said Armstrong. “I want to thank Mike, Jim, Tim and Helio for this opportunity and for believing in me. I feel that Meyer Shank Racing gives me one of the strongest cars on the grid every weekend. Our goals are aligned, we want to win races and be consistently fighting at the front. I especially look forward to returning to the Indy 500 having unfinished business from this year. We still have eight races left this season and we have some strong momentum going. I’m ready more than ever to close out this season on a high note and start prepping for 2027.”
The contract extension reflects the confidence both Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing have in continuing to build toward race wins and championship success together. As Armstrong prepares to take over the No. 60 Honda beginning in 2027, the team remains focused on finishing the 2026 season strong and turning its race-winning pace into victories.
“Since joining the team, Marcus has really shown that he is a top contender, something that is not easy to do in this field,” said Mike Shank. “His work ethic, feedback, and determination to improve every weekend make him exactly the kind of driver you want to build around. We’ve seen tremendous growth from him, and we’re excited to continue that journey together starting in 2027.”
Meyer Shank Racing continues to finalize plans for the No. 66 MSR Honda and expects to announce the driver for the team’s second full-time entry at a later date.