Category: Auto Racing

Mid Ohio Qualifying- New Fast Six, Same Result

thepitwindow

A Fast Six combination that has never been seen before ended with the same result. Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson joined Christian Lundgaard, Louis Foster, Alex Palou, and Colton Herta in the final round.

Foster looked to be on track for his second straight pole, and Lundgaard had shown a lot of strength in practice. But in the end, Alex Palou won his third pole of the season as his dominance continues.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was Kyle Kirkwood not advancing to the Fast Six. Kirkwood finished seventh in Round 2. Scott Dixon will start ninth.

Team Penske woes continue as Josef Newgarden is their best qualifier in 18th. Will Power and Scott McLaughlin share row 11.

Arrow McLaren placed two cars in the Fast Six,k but Pato OWard, last year’s winner at Mid Ohio, was not one of them. He will start 15th tomorrow. Christian Lundgaard has emerged as the team leader.

Pato O’Ward during qualifying today.

Rinus VeeKay lost his best lap for causing a local yellow and will start 26th.

Christian Rasmussen qualified 10th but will start 16th because of an engine penalty.

Notes

It is nice to start seeing some new drivers in the Fast Six. Foster has a pole and has made two consecutive Fast Six rounds. Siegel seems to have found his groove after a challenging early season. Simpson has show quiet but steady improvement.

Palou just missed turning a lap under 1:05. Lundgaard was 0.19 seconds behind him.

Siegel, Herta, and Foster were more than a second slower than Palou. In today’s IndyCar, that is a huge difference.

Results

Goodbye, Turn 4

thepitwindow

My favorite spot to watch racing at Mid Ohio is the esses, the turn 4 and 5 complex just after the starting line. Turn 4 was a swooping, banked curve with a sand trap on the driver’s left, heading downhill then uphill to turn 5.

Since last year turn 4 has been flattened and the sand trap, affectionately known as China Beach, has been enlarged. The difference is quite striking, as I discovered this morning. I did not expect such a dramatic change. Turn 4 is completely flat now.

You can see the difference in this photo.

Change is inevitable on a track that that opened in 1962. Ground settles, and Midwest weather is rough on pavement. I suppose it had to be done. We will see how it affects the racing tomorrow. I hope itdoesn’t diminish one of the most exciting starts of the season.

Mid Ohio Saturday

thepitwindow

Today’s schedule:

TimeSeriesSession
8:35 AM – 9:20 AMINDY NXT by FirestonePractice 2
9:40 AM – 10:15 AMUSF Juniors Race 2
10:35 AM – 11:35 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIESPractice 2
11:00 AM – 2:00 PMFishing with Cabela’sMeet at the pond south of the Mid-Ohio Tower
11:55 AM – 12:45 PMUSF Pro 2000Race 1
1:30 PM – 2:00 PMINDY NXT by FirestoneQualifying 
1:30 PM – 1:50 PMUSF JuniorsAutograph Session in the Middle Paddock
2:00 PM – 2:20 PMUSF2000Autograph Session in the Middle Paddock
2:30 PM – 2:50 PMUSF Pro 2000Autograph Session in the Middle Paddock
2:35 PM – 4:00 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESQualifying
4:15 PM – 5:00 PMINDY NXT by FirestoneAutograph Session at American Legion in the Midway
4:20 PM – 5:00 PMUSF2000Race 2
After QualifyingCamping with HondaHonda IndyCar drivers will tour the campground
5:15 PM – 6:05 PMUSF Pro 2000Race 2
7:00 PMMovie in the EssesDisney’s “Cars” on the big screen between Turns 4 & 5
DuskFireworks ShowSunset at 9:05 PM 

Another hot day on tap for this afternoon. . If you’re coming to the track, wear light colored clothing, hydrate, and seek shade.

Yesterday Team Penske formalized their new leadership roles, promoting two people who had been working with their Porsche program. Jonathan Duguid, who has been with the team since 2005, is the new president of Penske Racing Inc., covering Indycar and sports cars. Duguid had been managing director of Porsche Penske Motorsport.

Travis Law is now competition director of Penske Racing Inc. Law has been with Team Penske since 2007 and had been director of competition for Porsche Penske Motorsport.

It looks like a fairly seamless transition for the team, and I think they will get the teamback to its usual standard rather quickly. Team Penske cars were among the leaders in yesterday’s mpractice, and I expect them to do well in qualifying today.

I’ll be back after this morning’s practice with results and qualifying groups.

Mid Ohio Practice 1

thepitwindow

Kyle Kirkwood posted the fastest lap of the day in Group 1 of Practice 1 for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio. Will Power led the all car group, and Josef Newgarden led Group 2.

“We’re really fast right now,” Kirkwood said. “As long as we continue that, we’ll be in a really good spot. We’ve come here this year with maybe a different philosophy, and it seems to be working out.”

Red flags in the 40 minute session- David Malukas backed into the tire barrier in turn9 and broke his suspension. He was seen and released in the medical center. Malukas did not return for group practice.

Colton Herta spun and made contact with the wall in turn 6 to end the session. He served his 5 minute penalty during his group session.

Felix Rosenqvist came to a stop two minutes into Group 2 practice.

In the post practice press conference, Will Power and Colton Herta complained of other drivers backing up and costing them a lap. Both drivers are uncertain as to whether the change to turn 4 will affect passing.

Results

Greetings From Mid-Ohio

thepitwindow

The trip was easy and just under four hours, probably a new track record from my house to the track. Mid Ohio has a special spot in my heart. It was the first track I visited other than IMS. I like that there have been few changes since my first trip here. I will check out the changes to turn 4 tomorrow morning when it is cooler.

The schedule for the rest of the day: All times Eastern. Practices on FS2

3:05 PM – 3:50 PMINDY NXT by FirestonePractice 1
4:35 PM – 5:55 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESPractice 1
6:15 PMCamper Golf Cart ParadeStaging on the False Grid at 5:45 PM
7:00 PMLive Music in the CampgroundsBand: Panco Black Root

I’ll be back after IndyCar practice with a quick wrap up.

Mid Ohio Preview

thepitwindow

Not only does Mid Ohio begin the second half of IndyCar’s all too short season, but this venue also marks the one year anniversary of the hybrid. The energy recovery unit got off to a shaky start as Scott Dixon had issues on the parade lap. Now, the additional power source barely gets a mention.

Sunday’s race will be the 42nd IndyCar race at Mid Ohio. While Long Beach has held races for 50 years, 2025 was the 41st IndyCar race there.

Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood have won the nine races this year. with Palou winning six, including the Indianapolis 500, Not since 1980 have we seen just two winners this deep into the season. In that year Johnny Rutherford and Bobby Unser were the only winners through 10 races. Rutherford won the inaugural IndyCar race at Mid Ohio that year.

From earlier this week:

45 Years Ago- IndyCar’s First Race at Mid-Ohio

This year the race returns to the 90 lap distance of the mid 2010s. I thought it was a better race at 90 laps than it has been at 80 laps. Will we see Scott Dixon save fuel and try to make it on two stops? Three stops are more likely this year.

As far as winning, Dixon has won six times at Mid Ohio, once after starting last. Team Penske has a combined 12 wins at this circuit. Dixon needs a win this year to extend his treak of seasons with a win, which stands at 20 right now.

There have been some changes to turn four. It has been flattened a bit. My first task Friday is to see how it looks and whether it will change the racing through the esses.

Is this the week the series sees its third different winner of the year? I believe it will be. While Pato O’Ward might be the obvious choice as the defending winner, I’m going with a driver who has run quietly near the front all season, Felix Rosenqvist.

I will be onsite early this afternoon, Indycar’s first practice is at 4:30 on FS2. Tomorrow’s action is all on FS1, and the race coverage begins at 1 pm Eastern on FOX.

McIntosh Drives From Deep in Field To Become First Two-Time BC39 Winner

thepitwindow
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 2, 2025) – Cannon McIntosh took a long, tough route Wednesday night to become the first two-time winner of the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. McIntosh, from Bixby, Oklahoma, repeated as the winner of the 39-lap USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship race after starting 19th in the No. 71K Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports machine in the 24-car field. He earned $20,039 for the win in the race honoring late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson.
“I’m speechless right now – this is amazing,” McIntosh said. “To do it in honor of Bryan Clauson here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway twice now, it’s just an honor. It’s all for him, and I’m sure he’s looking down, smiling and seeing another good race here.”
The Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian team swept the top three spots in the finishing order, as Gavin Miller placed second in the team’s No. 97 car and Jacob Denney third in the No. 67 entry. McIntosh’s journey to victory lane for the second straight year at the 1/5th-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS was as improbable as it was dramatic. He ended up upside-down in a wild crash during a qualifying race earlier in the evening and had to drive his way into the field by winning the Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts semi race. That placed McIntosh 19th in the starting lineup.
He wasn’t a factor in the first half of the race, which was dominated by pole sitter Justin Grant, who won the 30-lap feature Tuesday night. But McIntosh began to charge through traffic and climbed to third by Lap 30 behind Grant and Denney. Grant had led every lap to that point, expanding his gap to nearly a second midway through the race, but was being challenged by Denney as McIntosh drew closer.
Grant and Denney jousted in a spirited side-by-side duel for the lead from Laps 30 to 35, with Grant holding off Denney’s repeated low slides for the top spot on both ends of the clay oval. On Lap 36, Grant was running in the high groove exiting Turn 4 and Denney low when the two drivers banged wheels heading for the flag stand. On the next lap, Grant dove low exiting Turn 2 trying to pass Denney for the lead, but Grant’s right front wheel hit Denney’s left rear, momentarily launching Grant airborne and blunting his momentum. That incident triggered a caution and flattened Grant’s front left tire and bent his side nerf bar into his left rear tire, effectively ending his chances to sweep the event in the No. 87 CB Industries car. Meanwhile, McIntosh squeezed past Grant and took second place. With two laps to go, Denney and McIntosh made hard contact while battling for the lead exiting Turn 2, with Denney taking the lead. Miller was closely pursuing, ready to pounce. Just two turns later, McIntosh slid under Denney in Turn 4 for the lead with the white flag in the air while Miller and Denney made contact, all but ending their chances to win. That bobble by his rivals let McIntosh pull away on the final lap for the victory.
“A lot of guys moved up to the top there, and it was hard to make moves,” McIntosh said. “When you throw a slide job, you lose so much momentum. So, to try and get your momentum back without getting slid was tough.
“Luckily, I was the guy coming from behind and putting those guys in bad positions and was able to get to the next guy before they could get back to me. Just kept making moves.”
Bryton Buoy led all 20 laps to win the Stoops Junior Sprint Invitational feature for young drivers. Levi Ballard, who won the first feature Tuesday night, rallied to close the gap over the final five laps but fell just short in second. Owen Larson, son of reigning Brickyard 400 presented by PPG winner Kyle Larson, finished fifth.
USAC action will return to The Dirt Track at IMS on Thursday, July 24 for the AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature as part of the NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing series. The first USAC Sprint Car race at IMS takes place the night before Brickyard Weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series starts on the 2.5-mile IMS oval. Visit www.ims.com for information about the Indiana Sprint Week race at IMS.