This might be the last one with 27 cars for awhile.
Mid Ohio Entry List
Tag: Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Mid Ohio Preview-Qualifying Up Front Key to Success
Good morning from Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.
Today’s schedule:
Festival Gate Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | Series | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Indy Pro 2000 | Practice |
| 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM | USF2000 | Practice |
| 9:30 AM – 10:10 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Practice |
| 10:25 AM – 10:50 AM | Indy Pro 2000 | Qualifying 1 |
| 11:10 AM – 11:40 AM | USF2000 | Qualifying |
| 11:55 AM – 12:25 PM | Stadium Super Trucks | Practice |
| 12:40 PM – 1:20 PM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Practice 2 |
| 1:35 PM – 2:05 PM | Indy Pro 2000 | Qualifying 2 |
| 2:20 PM – 3:10 PM | Indy Lights | Practice 1 |
| 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Practice 1 Peacock |
| 5:15 PM – 5:55 PM | USF2000 | Race 1 |
Indycar returns to Mid Ohio for its 39th race at the track built by the late Jim Trueman. The race is nearing Long Beach longevity territory. Winners at Mid Ohio generally start in the first two rows. The most notable exception was Scott Dixon in 2014, who started last because of a penalty during qualifying yet still mfound a way to win.
Things to look for this weekend.
Qualifying is Key
The last three Honda Indy 200 races have been won by the pole winner. In the history of the race 15 drivers have won from the pole. However, six of those have come in the last 11 years, Bottom line- if you want to have success at Mid Ohio, get into the Fast Six on Saturday.
Lots of Favorites as the Title Fight Continues
Five drivers have the potential to win Sunday.
Dixon has six wins at this track, and he has to be in the conversation as a favorite this year. He has stiff competition from his own team, as points leader Marcus Ericsson and 2021 series champion Alex Palou also have a shot at winning on Sunday.
Josef Newgarden, the 2021 winner, has three wins this season, and is third in the standings. If he doesn’t win Newgarden needs to finish ahead of Ericsson and Palou.
Alexander Rossi has been surging since the Indianapolis 500. Rossi three top fives and a pole in the last three races.
Will the Pole Streak Continue?
Qualifying in the 2022 season has seen something that hasn’t happened since 1961. In that earlier time the season beaqgn with nine different pole winners in the first nine races. In 2022 each of the eight races has had a different driver lead the field to the green flag. Tomorrow we could see the record tied, but I’m not so sure. The second hakf of the year is when the better teams and drivers begin to assert themselves.
Who could be the ninth polesitter? My favorites are Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, or Romain Grosjean.
Tatiana’s Last Ride?
There has been talk that funding issues may cause the 11 car of A. J. Foyt Racing, driven b Tatiana Calsderon, to cease operations after Mid Ohio. Rokit, the sponsor apparently is behind in payments. My understanding is nthat Kyle Kirkwood’s seat in the 14 car is not affected.
It’s always sad to lose a car midseason. This especially hurts since Calderon is the only woman on the grid, although she only does roaqd courses.
The potential end to her season hurts even more as Paretta Autosport with Simona DeSilvestro will make its second appearance of the season this weekend. It has been seven years since multiole women participated in an Indycar race, and Sunday might be the teh last time for awhile.
Dixon Seeking Better Results, Not Planning to Retire Soon
Indycar photo by Joe Skibinski
Scott Dixon heads into this weekends Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio still looking for his first win of 2022. Dixon has won at least one race every year since 2005. The Chip Ganassi driver has won six times at Mid Ohio. Dixon currently sits sixth in points, 69 behind leader Marcus Ericsson. He talked about the team’s season at a media availability yesterday.
“I think as a group and as a team, we just haven’t been
getting the job done. We’ll keep after it. I think Marcus has
had a fantastic run, leading the points right now; Alex has
had a little bit of bad luck. Just hoping for the whole team
we can get ahead down here and fight for another
championship for Chip.”
Some of the results Dixon attributed to overthinking situations.
“There’s been some easy misses. I think
we’ve had speed. There’s some areas where we could
definitely do a better job in getting more speed out of the
car, but even Road America I think from our Q1 time would
have got us through to Q3, but we overanalyzed the
situation, made a very big shift in balance and that knocked
us out of Q2.
I think at some points we’re overtrying, and it’s easy in this
scenario where it’s not as relaxed or just rolling as
smoothly as it could be, that whether it’s me or the team or
the adjustments that we make, we just may be going over
the top. We’ve just got to find our groove.”
Dixon talked about how thin the margin for error is in setting up the car.
“Right now it doesn’t take much to kind of fall out of a cycle
or fall out of where you need to be. So we’ve just got to
keep doing what we typically do, not try to make a big deal
of each situation, and hopefully get on a roll here soon.
Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s one or two big things. I think it’s just us not doing what we normally do well.”
If people are having
those conversations I haven’t been a part of them. For me
I love doing what I’m doing, I love being a part of the team
that I’m with, and who knows what comes in the future, but
as of right now just focusing on this season. Yeah, that’s
all I’ve got to say really. There’s nothing to it.
Not Going Anywhere
Rumors have been circulating about Dixon going to Arrow Mclaren SP or simply retiring. Dixon was quick to shoot that talk down.
“I think for me, I don’t see giving up anytime soon. I feel like in motorsport it’s hard to make a decision from one year to the next, as
opposed to kind of looking five years down the road or
more. For me right now, it’s just enjoying INDYCAR, trying
to win races, trying to get back to where we need to, so
that’s where the focus is.
You know, the possibilities after I’m done, trust me, I’d love
to still be a part of the sport. What that means and in what
capacity, I have really no idea. But I love the sport. It’s
been my passion since I was five or six years old, so it’s
definitely something I want to be a part of for many more
years. As of right now, it’s not on the radar.”
Mid Ohio Fast Facts
| The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R Fast Facts Race weekend: Friday, July 1 – Sunday, July 3Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a 13-turn, a 2.258-mile road course in Lexington, Ohio. Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 80 laps/180.64 miles | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 35 laps/79.03 miles or 55 minutes Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. Twitter: @Mid_Ohio, @IndyCar, #Honda200, #INDYCAR Event website: www.midohio.com INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2021 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Josef Newgarden (No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet) Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Race 1: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 2: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 3: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 4: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports) 2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) 1:06.6739, 121.919 mph. Qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Simon Pagenaud, 1:03.8700, 127.271 mph, July 30, 2016 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Oliver Askew, 1:10.8079, 114.801 mph, July 27, 2019 NBC Sports race telecast: The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 3, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R will be simulcast on the streaming service. Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race. The Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR Live! INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Joel Sebastianelli and Alex Wolff are the pit reporters. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R race (noon ET Sunday), Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio (10:30 a.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, July 1 2:20-3:10 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 1, INDYCAR Live3:30-4:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, Peacock Premium (Note: One set of alternate tires may be used during this session and all teams must return that set after the practice) Saturday, July 2 8:35-9:15 a.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 2, INDYCAR Live9:30-10:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), Peacock Premium 1:45-2:05 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Qualifying, INDYCAR Live2:45-4 p.m. – Qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium Sunday, July 3 9:45-10:15 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock Premium 10:35 a.m. – Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio “Drivers, start your engines” 10:40 a.m. – Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio (35 laps/79.03 miles or 55 minutes), Peacock Premium Noon – NBC on air 12:46 p.m. – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R “Drivers, start your engines” 12:53 p.m. – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R (80 laps, 180.64 miles), NBC (Live). NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: There have been six different winners in eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Streets of Long Beach and Road America), Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park), Colton Herta (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500) and Will Power (Raceway at Belle Isle Park) have all won in 2022. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.There have been six different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Marcus Ericsson and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are Herta (Laguna Seca 2021 and Long Beach 2021) and Newgarden (Texas 2022, Long Beach 2022 and Road America 2022). The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be the 39th INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Josef Newgarden won the race in 2021. Johnny Rutherford won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio in 1980. Scott Dixon is the winningest INDYCAR SERIES driver at Mid-Ohio with six victories. Emerson Fittipaldi won at Mid-Ohio three times, while Michael Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Teo Fabi, Josef Newgarden, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser and Alex Zanardi all won at Mid-Ohio twice. Dixon, Castroneves and Newgarden are expected to compete. Other previous Mid-Ohio winners entered include Graham Rahal, Simon Pagenaud, Alexander Rossi, Will Power and Colton Herta. ACTIVE RACE WINNERS Scott Dixon, 6- 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019 Helio Castroneves, 2-2000, 2001 Josef Newgarden, -22017, 2021 Graham Rahal, 1-2015 Simon Pagenaud, 1- 2016 Alexander Rossi, 1-2018 Will Power, 1-2020 Race #1 Colton Herta, 1-2020 Race #2 Fifteen drivers have won the race from the pole – Mario Andretti (1984), Bobby Rahal (1985), Roberto Guerrero (1987), Teo Fabi (1989), Michael Andretti (1990, 1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Patrick Carpentier (2002), Paul Tracy (2003), Scott Dixon (2011), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Alexander Rossi (2018), Will Power (2020-Race 1), Colton Herta (2020-Race 2) and Josef Newgarden (2021). Power has won five poles at Mid-Ohio, the most of any driver. ACTIVE POLE WINNERS Will Power-5-2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020 Race #1 Helio Castroneves-2-2007, 2008 Scott Dixon-2-2011, 2015 Simon Pagenaud-1-2016 Alexander Rossi-1-2018 Colton Herta-1-2020 Race #2J Josef Newgarden-1-2021 Twenty-one drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Mid-Ohio. Scott Dixon (18) has made the most starts at Mid-Ohio among the entered drivers. Ten drivers have led laps at the track (Dixon 261, Will Power 205, Josef Newgarden 162, Alexander Rossi 71, Colton Herta 66, Simon Pagenaud 37, Graham Rahal 27, Takuma Sato 16 Felix Rosenqvist 15 and Marcus Ericsson 3). Chip Ganassi Racing has won 11 times at Mid-Ohio, including eight of the 16 races sanctioned by INDYCAR at the track. Ganassi’s winning drivers are Alex Zanardi (1996, 1997), Juan Pablo Montoya (1999), Scott Dixon (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019), Dario Franchitti (2010) and Charlie Kimball (2013). Team Penske has 11 wins at the track with Emerson Fittipaldi (1992, 1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994, 1995), Helio Castroneves (2000, 2001), Ryan Briscoe (2008), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2017 and 2021) and Will Power (2020-Race 1)Scott Dixon has finished in the top five in 12 of his 18 starts at Mid-Ohio, including six wins between 2007 and 2020 … Will Power has finished in the top five in nine of his 14 starts at Mid-Ohio … Simon Pagenaud has finished on the podium four times in his previous 12 starts. Rookie Kyle Kirkwood won eight of nine Road to Indy starts from 2018-2021.Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 297th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history… Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 250th INDYCAR SERIES start. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Notes: Linus Lundqvist is on the verge of building an insurmountable lead in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires point standings. The 23-year-old Swede leads Sting Ray Robb by 92 points heading into the weekend at Mid-Ohio, where Lundqvist won the 2021 season finale with an impressive drive in the rain.Danial Frost and Christian Rasmussen became first-time winners in the first half of the season. Will another talented prospect like Sting Ray Robb, Benjamin Pedersen, Hunter McElrea, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first series win in 2022? Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Mid-Ohio as Indy Lights drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds. |
Mid Ohio Schedule
All times Eastern; Practices, Qualifying, and Indy lights race on Peacock. Indycar race on NBC and Peacock.
Friday
Festival Gate Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | Series | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Indy Pro 2000 | Practice |
| 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM | USF2000 | Practice |
| 9:30 AM – 10:10 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Practice |
| 10:25 AM – 10:50 AM | Indy Pro 2000 | Qualifying 1 |
| 11:10 AM – 11:40 AM | USF2000 | Qualifying |
| 11:55 AM – 12:25 PM | Stadium Super Trucks | Practice |
| 12:40 PM – 1:20 PM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Practice 2 |
| 1:35 PM – 2:05 PM | Indy Pro 2000 | Qualifying 2 |
| 2:20 PM – 3:10 PM | Indy Lights | Practice 1 |
| 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Practice 1 |
| 5:15 PM – 5:55 PM | USF2000 | Race 1 |
Saturday
Festival Gate Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | Series | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Qualifying |
| 8:35 AM – 9:15 AM | Indy Lights | Practice 2 |
| 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Practice 2 |
| 10:45 AM – 11:25 AM | USF 2000 | Race 2 |
| 11:40 AM – 12:30 PM | Indy Pro 2000 | Race 1 |
| 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Race 1 |
| 1:45 PM – 2:05 PM | Indy Lights | Qualifying |
| 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Qualifying |
| 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM | Stadium Super Trucks | Race 1 |
| 5:00 PM – 5:40 PM | USF2000 | Race 3 |
| 5:55 PM – 6:40 PM | Indy Pro 2000 | Race 2 |
| After Dusk | Fireworks |
Sunday
Festival Gate Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | Series | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:15 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge | Race 2 |
| 9:45AM – 10:15AM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Warm-Up |
| 10:35AM – 11:35AM | Indy Lights | Race |
| 12:00 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Driver Introductions |
| 12:55 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Race (80 Laps) |
| 3:00 PM-3:45 PM | Stadium Super Trucks | Race 2 |
Road to Indy Final Day Saw Title Hopes Slip Slidin’ Away
Photo: Will Kyle Kirkwood find an Indycar ride for 2022?
David Malukas slim title hopes for the Indy Lights championship got a bit more life as he won the pole for Sunday’s final race of the season at Mid Ohio. The pole was only one of three things that needed to happen for him to take the crown from Kyle Kirkwood.
At turn 1 after the start, however, it was all over as Malukas overshot the turn and was in last place by turn 4. All Kirkwood had to do was finish the race in virtually any position. Kirkwood finished fifth.
Give Malukas credit. he did not give up. He worked his way through the field on a very slippery track to finish second. Kirkwood won the title by 13 points. Malukas had one of the best Road to Indy drives i have ever seen. it was right up there with Spencer Pigot at Sonoma, who was spun out on the first lap and came from last place to finish fifth, which is where he needed to be to win the championship. Linus Lundqvist won the race, and was third in the season standings. Lujndqvist and Malukas both plan to drive in Indycar in 2022.
Kyle Kirkwood is the first driver to win the title on all three levels of the Road to Indy. In a twist of irony, he accomplished that feat on the day he lost a race at Mid Ohio for the first time. Kirkwood had won seven straight open wheel races at this track.
In a normal year, we would definitely see Kirkwood in Indycar next year, but where he drives next year is uncertain. I will have more about that later this week.
USF 2000- Running Out the Clock
Going first can have its disadvantages, and the USF 2000 Series had the worst race and qualifying conditions of the day. Qualifying was abandoned after the time time period ran out. The number of slideoffs and red flags didn’t allow for the guaranteed 20 minutes of green flag running. The grid was set using Saturday’s second fastest qualifying laps.
On lap 1 Josh green got past pole sitter Michael D’Orlando in turn 4 to take the lead. Green kept the position as numerous spins caused the race to run under caution most of the time. The race ended as the time limit expired.
Kiko Porto, the season champion, finished third. Porto will move to Indy Pro 2000 in 2022. It’s nice to see another brazilian driver moving up the ladder.
Indy Pro 2000- Improved Conditions Lead to Best Race of the Day
The final race of the day saw bits of sunshine on a rapidly improving track. It still wasn’t perfect, but the racing was the best of the day. Three lead changes among three driver made for a good event. James Roe won the race for his first victory of the year. He edged Emaan Ahmed by 0.1412 seconds at the line.
Christian Rasmussen claimed the season title just by starting the race. he will be a force in Indy Lights next year.
Weather May Be a Factor in Road to Indy Championships
The Road to Indy championship rounds begin this morning with qualifying, followed by the first races this afternoon.
Today at Mid Ohio the temperature should be 78 degrees, mostly cloudy, with only a 15% chance of rain. Tomorrow, however, calls for a high of 73 degrees and a 72% chance of rain.
The forecast could make for some intense racing today since tomorrow’s conditions could be less than optimal.
Today’s schedule:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:30 PM -1:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS (CLOSED FROM 11:30 AM -12:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
8:00 AM – 8:25 AM SBRS PRACTICE 2
8:40 AM – 9:10 AM USF2000 PRACTICE 1
9:25 AM – 10:05 AM INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING 1
10:20 AM – 10:50 AM INDY PRO 2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
11:05 AM – 11:30 AM SBRS QUALIFYING 1
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM USF2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM INDY LIGHTS RACE 1
2:05 PM – 2:55 PM INDY PRO 2000 RACE 1
3:10 PM – 3:35 PM SBRS RACE 1
3:50 PM – 4:30 PM USF2000 RACE 1
The action today and tomorrow will be on Road to Indy TV.
Robin Miller Celebration
The Celebration of Life for Robin Miller today will be streamed live on RACER.com at 11:45 Eastern. The live program is closed to the public. The celebration should last about 75 minutes.
Road to Indy Championship Weekend ; Lights, Pro Titles Up for Grabs
Kyle Kirkwood takes a 15 point lead into the final weekend for Indy Lights
The Road to Indy goes to Mid Ohio this weekend for double headers in each series- USF 2000, Indy Pro 2000, and Indy Lights. While the USF 2000 series looks to be firmly in Kiko Porto’s grasp, there are close battles for the top spots and the scholarships that come with them in both Indy Pro and Indy Lights. Indy Lights carries the added importance of a bit of a budget to take to an Indycar team.
In Indy Pro 2000, Christian Rasmussen leads Braden Eves by 18 points. Kyle Kirkwood holds a 15 point advantage over David Malukas in Indy Lights. Both drivers are expected to be in Indycar next season.
The track is open to spectators for a $20 admission for the weekend. Tickets are only available at the gate. The paddock is open to spectators.
Skip Barber Racing School is also racing at Mid Ohio Saturday and Sunday.
The schedule:
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE (V1)
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 3, 2021
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
5:00 PM RTI TEAMS LOAD-IN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:00 PM -1:00 PM)
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 1
10:00 AM – 10:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 2
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS
11:00 AM – 11:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 3
12:00 PM – 12:20 PM SBRS TEST SESSION 4
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM TIRE SCANNING – USF2000, INDY PRO 2000, INDY LIGHTS
2:20 PM – 2:45 PM SBRS PRACTICE 1
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM INDY LIGHTS PRACTICE 1
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM INDY PRO 2000 PRACTICE 1
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:30 PM -1:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS (CLOSED FROM 11:30 AM -12:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
8:00 AM – 8:25 AM SBRS PRACTICE 2
8:40 AM – 9:10 AM USF2000 PRACTICE 1
9:25 AM – 10:05 AM INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING 1
10:20 AM – 10:50 AM INDY PRO 2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
11:05 AM – 11:30 AM SBRS QUALIFYING 1
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM USF2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM INDY LIGHTS RACE 1
2:05 PM – 2:55 PM INDY PRO 2000 RACE 1
3:10 PM – 3:35 PM SBRS RACE 1
3:50 PM – 4:30 PM USF2000 RACE 1
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2021
6:30 AM – 3:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:00 PM -1:00 PM)
7:00 AM – 1:30 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS
7:30 AM – 1:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM USF2000 QUALIFYING 2 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING 2
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM INDY PRO 2000 QUALIFYING 2 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
10:15 AM – 10:40 AM SBRS QUALIFYING 2
11:00 AM – 11:40 AM USF2000 RACE 2
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM INDY LIGHTS RACE 2
1:10 PM – 2:00 PM INDY PRO 2000 RACE 2
2:15 PM – 2:40 PM SBRS RACE 2
Indy Lights Standings:
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Kirkwood – R | 488 |
| 2 | David Malukas | 473 |
| 3 | Linus Lundqvist – R | 403 |
| 4 | Benjamin Pedersen – R | 322 |
| 5 | Danial Frost – R | 304 |
| 6 | Devlin DeFrancesco – R | 294 |
| 7 | Robert Megennis | 285 |
| 8 | Toby Sowery |
Indy Pro 2000 Standings:
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Rasmussen – R | 392 |
| 2 | Braden Eves | 374 |
| 3 | Hunter McElrea | 347 |
| 4 | Reece Gold – R | 337 |
| 5 | Artem Petrov | 329 |
| 6 | Jacob Abel | 259 |
| 7 | Kyffin Simpson – R | 231 |
| 8 | Manuel Sulaiman | 214 |
USF2000 Standings:
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiko Porto | 368 |
| 2 | Michael d’Orlando | 319 |
| 3 | Yuven Sundaramoorthy | 295 |
| 4 | Josh Pierson | 266 |
| 5 | Christian Brooks | 257 |
| 6 | Josh Green | 229 |
| 7 | Spike Kohlbecker – R | 210 |
| 8 | Jace Denmark – R | 203 |
Your favorite blogger will be heading to Mid Ohio early Saturday morning. I will be going, too.
Andersen Adds USF Juniors
Dan Andersen has added another entry level series, USF Juniors, to the Road to Indy. Andersen believes USF 2000 is attracting drivers above the true entry level and wants to provide a lower starting point for young drivers. The series will be sanctioned by USAC and will have 16-18 races, all on road courses.
Indy Lights Moves to Penske Entertainment
Sunday will be the last Indy Lights race under the auspices of Andersen’s road to Indy. Starting in2022, Indy Lights will become part of Indycar. The move is to create a greater connection between Indycar teams and the step just below it. More Indycar teams are expected to field teams in the series, which has struggled in recent years to have respectable car count.
Dan Andersen saved Indy Lights a couple of years by putting a lot of his own money into the series. The car counts have improved. I wish to thank Andersen for his hard work on the Road to Indy and for keeping Indy Lights running.
Front Row Show Renewed for Third Straight Week
Photo of Josef Newgarden by Matt Fraver, Indycar
Indycar’s longest running show, Josef Newgarden and Colton Herta in the front row, has been renewed by the series for a third straight week. Newgarden edged Herta this time by just 0.004 seconds in a wild qualifying session that saw lots of sliding and dirt thrown around, it had a controversial ending to Group 1 in Round 1.
Jack Harvey looked to be safely the top six ubtil he spun and came to halt just ahead of the timing line. Alexander rossi and Simon Pagenaud sped by, but did not slow enough according to race control. At the checkered flag, Harvey and Pagenaud were in and Rossi was out. Harvey lost his best lap, and Pagenaud and Rossi lost their final lap. As a result, Harvey and Pagenaud did not advance, but Rossi did. Rossi would go on to make the Fast Six.
The question now is, can Newgarden win? His last two poles looked like dominating wins, but tire and gear issues cost him each of the last two races with just a few laps to go. Herta has finished fourth and second in the previous two races.
Some Thoughts
Rinus VeeKay had a nice return race from his injury. The second year driver advanced to round 2.
The Fast Six seemed like old times with two cars each from Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti.
Will Power had to scramble in Round 1 to get his car fired again. He finally got on track with just four minutes left. Power, the active leader in pole positions, made it to the Fast Six. Power still does not have a pole this year. This is not the first time the 12 car has had electrical issues.
I hope Jack Harvey has his bad luck for the weekend out of the way now and can get a decent finish tomorrow.
Points leader Alex Palou starts seventh, while Scott Dixon starts fifth. Pato O’Ward, second in points, starts 20th.
Results:
Final practice begins in just a few minutes. Enjoy.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 