Tag: Mid Ohio Sports Car Course

Mid-Ohio is all about what happens in the pits. Timing is everything. Execution is crucial. In 2014, Josef Newgarden had the race in hand until a botched last pit stop handed the race to Scott Dixon. Dixon started last and pitted during a yellow at the start to get to the front. Even then, he ran out of fuel just after getting the checkered flag. Last year Graham Rahal won by pitting just before a caution that caught out the leaders trying to stretch their pit window. Charlie Kimball used a stop on lap 10 in 2013 to take the checkered. This year, the pits were unkind to Mikhail Aleshin. He had cycled to the lead after the second round of stops and was maintaining a healthy lead. When the yellow came out for Jack Hawksworth’s accident, everybody pitted for the final time. The vrew released him into the path of  Newgarden. Aleshin hit Newgarden’s car and bumped a crew member from Juan Pablo Montoya’s team. Conor Daly had the lead and the pace, but not enough fuel. He salvaged a sixth place finish after stopping late. The race then returned to the usual suspects.

Simon Pagenaud made a great move on Will Power coming out of the carousel to get into position to win.  It has been several years since a driver has won more than three times in a season. Pagenaud slightly slowed Power’s momentum, increasing his lead to fifty-eight points, although Power has three wins and two seconds over the last five races. I wouldn’t count him out yet. Power is stronger than Pagenaud on ovals. There are still 3.7 races left, two of which are ovals.

Overall, it was a better than average Mid Ohio race.  There was plenty of drama, and different pit strategies to keep the outcome in doubt for most of the race. Scott Dixon’s early retirement was an atypical error on his part, maybe showing a little impatience. That is not the best place to attempt a move like that. I thought Race Control made a good decision not to go full course yellow with three laps to go after Bourdais ended up in the sand. I do, however, wonder why the start of the race wasn’t waved off. Simon had a Helio-esque jump coming to the line

 

A New Fan’s Hot Lap Ride-From Boredom to Let’s Go Again in Two Minutes

My girlfriend Marti had her first hot lap ride Sunday. This was just her second Indycar race. She began the ride with no expectations. In fact, Marti thought it would be boring. By the keyhole she began to appreciate the track.  When she had to grab the passenger assist bar, she understood why she had to sign a waiver. Her excitement suddenly began to build. The lap helped her understand how drivers race- the acceleration, braking, and the approach to each turn. She tried to imagine how she would take each section.  Her favorite part was the esses.  As the car pulled into the pits, Marti was ready to do a few more. Overall, the hot lap allowed her to briefly see the track from a driver’s perspective. She now has a better understanding of racing. Marti is eager to take a 2-seater ride now. Amazing how someone’s attitude can change in just a couple of minutes.

Notes:

Mid Ohio continues to have one of the best crowds of the season. The esses area seemed fuller than last year.

I noticed several new concessions areas this year, including a bar at the foot of the bridge just before Turn 1.

Conor Daly got very lucky after missing Turn 4. he drove across the grass and nearly collided with Charlie Kimball on re-entry.

The start of this race, when all 22 cars are packed together in the space between Turns 4 and 5, is one of the most thrilling parts of the season. Amazing that they usually all get through most years.

R. C. Enerson had an impressive debut weekend. He was competitive in practice and was running well in the race until botched fuel strategy put him well back in the field.

This weekend Indycar begins the start of its final stretch of races. And by stretch, I mean really stretched out.  After this race, only three races plus the completion of Texas remain. Pocono, the next race, is three weeks away.  The season ends  seven weeks from this weekend.

Mid-Ohio was my first road course race in 2008. This will be my seventh race here, the most at any track outside IMS. I really like this track for a lot of reasons. It is in a beautiful rural settting. There is constant on track action. The tram system makes it easy to get around. I even enjoy that it is still lacks some of the newer things that other tracks have installed for fan comfort.

Race day crowds are consistently large as you can see from the photo above of last year’s race. I feared a steep decline in attendance when IMSA left, but I haven’t really noticed much difference. I enjoy watching from the esses (above). Turn 4 is actually the first racing turn as they start on the backstretch.

Last year was my first trip to Mid-Ohio that was totally rain free. It doesn’t appear we’ll be that lucky again. At my first race, it rained just before the race. The rooster tails on the first few laps were spectatcular. The spray hung in the air for several seconds. I hope it does rain a bit during or right before the race starts. Tire strategy becomes more interesting in that situation.

Indy Lights has a weird history in my time here. In 2008, two drivers collided and ended up near the inside fence at turn 5. They got out of their cars and punches were thrown. Never heard from either of them much after that. I’m not sure which year, but the leader pulled into the pits on the last lap before taking the checkered flag, handing the victory to the very surprised second place driver. Last year in Race 1, the leaders decided to play a game late in the race to see who could make the most mistakes. R C Enerson won the race after riding around fourth or fifth all day.

This race could help determine if Scott Dixon has a legitimate shot at catching Simon Pagenaud for the championship. This has been a good track for Dixon. I don’t expect that to change. this weekend.  Qualifying has been important here in the past, although the last two years pit strategy has determined the outcome.  Dixon won from starting last in2014; Rahal won from thirteenth last year.

Enjoy the race. Remember for those of you playing at home, it’s on CNBC at 2pm Sunday with a re-air on NBCSN at 5.