2009 IRL Rd. 13--Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

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After this past weekend's exciting return to oval-track racing at Kentucky, the stars of the IndyCar Series head to a familiar staple of American Open-Wheel Racing.......the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in central Ohio. Five races remain in the 2009 IndyCar Series season and the championship contenders all have their eyes on the championship, the million dollar prize that accompanies it and the recognition of success in a hard-fought campaign.


Past Mid-Ohio Race Winners................
~~Johnny Rutherford(1): 1980
~~Teo Fabi(2): 1983, 1989
~~Mario Andretti(1): 1984
~~Bobby Rahal(2): 1985, 1986
~~Roberto Guerrero(1): 1987
~~Emerson Fittipaldi(3): 1988, 1992, 1993
~~Michael Andretti(2): 1990, 1991
~~Al Unser, Jr.(2): 1994, 1995
~~Alex Zanardi(2): 1996, 1997
~~Adrian Fernandez(1): 1998
~~Juan Pablo Montoya(1): 1999
~~Helio Castroneves*(2): 2000, 2001
~~Paul Tracy*(1): 2002
~~Patrick Carpentier(1): 2003
~~Scott Dixon*(1): 2007
~~Ryan Briscoe*(1): 2008
*--denotes active IndyCar Series competitor

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Ryan Hunter-Reay kicked off his IndyCar Series career with a seventh-place finish at Mid-Ohio in 2007 with Rahal Letterman Racing. He's since collected a victory at Watkins Glen in 2008, joined Vision Racing at the beginning of 2009 and now is driving for A.J. Foyt Racing as Vitor Meira recovers from fractured vetebrae.

In the 12 races this season, Hunter-Reay gave Vision Racing its highest finish on a street/road course with second on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in the opener. He's also given A.J. Foyt Racing its best finish of the season with seventh place on the streets of Toronto's Exhibition Place.

Hunter-Reay talks about what's transpired since that '07 race on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and what makes the venue special.

Hunter-Reay Discusses His Career, Mid-Ohio & IZOD

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Ryan Briscoe and Ed Carpenter used their allotment of 20 presses of the Honda overtake assist button during their duel to the checkers at Kentucky Speedway on Aug. 1.

The option, which incorporates a 200 RPM increase (to 10,500) and a 5-20 horsepower gain based on fuel setting for a duration and frequency determined by Honda Performance Development for each venue, will be used for the first time on a road/street course this weekend at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance.

For the 85-lap race (1 p.m. EDT Aug. 9 on VERSUS), 15 presses for a duration of 20 seconds each will be built in, according to HPD Race Team Manager Roger Griffiths. There is a 10-second recharge time between availability, and there's a 100 RPM-per-second decline after the 20-second duration.

Add the Firestone alternate tire option introduced this year and there now are a couple more wild cards added to the deck.

"(The overtake button is) just another tool that the driver can be thinking about in the car," said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and operations for the Indy Racing League. "Another challenge for the teams from a gearing standpoint is to make sure you have it to maximize its benefit. So the team's got to be smart about their gearing and their planning for it. And the driver's got to have some strategy as to when to be pushing the button and how many pushes to leave with it, where to use it on the race track so they do it.

"Of course, its effect is dictated by what fuel setting you're in. So I think it can be an interesting aspect. Combining with the Firestone (primary and alternate tires), it should help on a road course as well."

Where on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit and when to employ the boost will be part of the equation. Entering the slight Turn 3 right-hander that's part of an extended backstraight? Climbing the hill out of Turn 10 heading to the left-right closing portion of the course? Or from the start/finish line through Turn 2?

"At the road course, going up through the gears, coming off the second gate corner and going straight up sixth gear and when we're pulling 10.5 (RPMs) on every gear change, I think that's definitely going to show a boost, a bit of extra speed," said Briscoe, who will seek to successfully defend his race victory and extended his championship points lead.

"The alternate, the standard tire, that's always a tough one. We don't always know how that's going to be until really after the warm-up (8:45 a.m. EDT Aug. 9) and even after the race, because we really don't get an opportunity to test the red tire before qualifying. And then until after warm-up, we don't have a chance to do any long runs. So I think it's all adding some extra excitement and be a challenge to the whole team and driving style and everything as to what we do in the race."

The overtake assist button was introduced at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval after HPD tested the system (essentially advancing the spark of the normally aspirated V8 engine through a slight alteration of the ECU) at Chicagoland Speedway earlier in the summer.

"It certainly seemed to enhance the product on the racetrack Saturday night," Barnhart said. "The Honda overtake button is not a new concept. In Champ Car with the turbo charged engines, it certainly had the ability of having more effect than it does with our normally aspirated engines, but I do have to commend Honda for their work and their desire to help give options and tools to the drivers and the race car as well, because it's not a simple thing to do with a normally aspirated engine.

"I think it's something that can be continued to be developed and be an important part of our racing, whether it's on an oval or a road course."

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Sorry, TK, I have a ride this weekend.

Oriol Servia was a driver consultant to longtime friend Tony Kanaan at the Rexall Edmonton Indy two weeks ago. This weekend, he'll be driving the No. 06 entry for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance.

Servia, 35, will take over the wheel previously held by Robert Doornbos, who left the team after his 12-race commitment was reached. Graham Rahal drives the No. 02 McDonald's car for the team.

"I'm very pleased about this opportunity for many reasons," Servia said. "First, I am excited to be back in the cockpit where I should be and, second, it reunites me with the team that I had the most success with in my career. It's not ideal in terms of preparation time, but the last time we did this with the same amount of notice we ended up on the podium so I don't see why that can't happen again. I would like to thank Carl (Haas) and Mike (Lanigan) for thinking of me and I won't let them down."

Servia returns to the team after having served as the replacement driver for Bruno Junqueira, who was injured in the 2005 Indianapolis 500. He finished third in his debut with the Champ Car team at The Milwaukee Mile and went on to finish on the podium a total of seven times in 11 races, including his victory at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal.

"Oriol did a fabulous job when he drove for the team in 2005 and I am confident he will do as well now," Haas said. "The combination of Oriol's talent, energy and personality and the team's excitement in having him back is as good as it gets."

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Ryan Briscoe's first career IndyCar Series victory came at The Milwaukee Mile in June 2008, but his rise to prominence began two months later at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

"We closed out last year very well at Edmonton, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma," Briscoe said. "Helio Castroneves and I swept the front row in qualifying and ran well in those races. At Mid-Ohio, we were strong in the race. We definitely have good cars for that track.

"Mid-Ohio was important because expectations since I came to IndyCar racing was I should win on the road courses and Mid-Ohio was my first road course win. It was important. Just to get that done and prove we can finish the job was important. As the season progressed last year, it solidified my position here with Team Penske and throughout the series."

Briscoe enters the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance as the championship points leader by eight over Scott Dixon and by 11 over Dixon's Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Dario Franchitti.

Last year, Dixon finished third. In the inaugural IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio in '07, Dixon won from the sixth starting position. "(Any) track where you can beat Scott it is important because he has proven that at every track we go to," Briscoe said. "He was on the podium and very strong. A lot of times in these races the competition is so close and it comes down to who has the better pit stops or a bit of luck on the strategy. Everything seemed to work out right for us on the 6 team."

Briscoe credits much of that to team owner and his race strategist, Roger Penske.

"Last year was great because we had extremely fast cars and had a little bit of luck on our side as well," Briscoe said. "After all the rain, I didn't get into the pits when I needed to and ended up being mid-pack but Roger Penske pulled off some great strategy and we were able to get back to the front. Once we were in the front, we had the quickest car. Helio and I were able to sweep the front row in qualifying and we finished first and second so it was definitely a good track for us. We hope we have the same performance this year."

Briscoe, who has two victories and five runner-up finishes, has two road courses and three ovals remaining to stay ahead of the pack and nail down his first IndyCar Series championship.

"Geez, it's been one of those years where no one can hold on to the points lead," he said. "We're not going to get too content yet. It's so close. It's the difference between a first and second. As far as the tracks we're going to right now, I think we'll be strong at the road courses. But Dixon, Franchitti, they'll be strong there, too. We just got to try to keep finishing in front of those guys, keep our heads down, and keep working hard. We have five to go. We just got to keep pushing forward."

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Mid-Ohio Entry List...............


(R)Raphael Matos, #2 United States Marine Corps
Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske
Dan Wheldon, #4 National Guard
Paul Tracy, #5 Azul Tequila/Votorantim
Ryan Briscoe, #6 Team Penske
Danica Patrick, #7 Boost Mobile
Scott Dixon, #9 Target
Dario Franchitti, #10 Target
Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11
E.J. Viso, #13 PDVSA
Ryan Hunter-Reay, #14 ABC Supply Co.
Justin Wilson, #18 Z-Line Designs
Ed Carpenter, #20 Menards
Milka Duno, #23 CITGO
(R)Mike Conway, #24 RollCoater/DRR
Marco Andretti, #26 Meijer
Hideki Mutoh, #27 Formula Dream
(R)Robert Doornbos, #33 HVM/Muermans
Richard Antinucci, #98 Novicomm LED
Graham Rahal, #02 McDonald's
Oriol Servia, #06 NHLR

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Mid-Ohio Event Schedule..................


~~Practice Session 1*: 3:15-4:45pm, 7 August 2009
~~Practice Session 2: 8:30-10:30am, 8 August 2009
~~PEAK Qualifying: 12:30-2pm, 8 August 2009
~~Final Practice Session: 8:45-9:15am, 9 August 2009
~~Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio: 1pm, 9 August 2009
*--first 30 minutes of session are for cars outside the top-10 in points and rookie competitors

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Paul Tracy will substitute for Mario Moraes, who remains in Brazil following the passing of his father, and drive the No. 5 Azul-Votorantim /KV Racing Technology car in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance.

"This is a very sad occasion and on behalf of the entire KV Racing Technology organization we extend our sympathy and condolences to Mario and his family," team co-owner Jimmy Vasser said. "After lengthy internal discussions, and in consultation with Mario, we decided the best course of action was to have Paul, who has driven for the team and is familiar with our systems and personnel, step in and drive this weekend."

In 11 starts at Mid-Ohio, Tracy has finished in the top five seven times, including five podiums, one win (2003) and one pole (2003).

"I want to thank KV Racing Technology and Mario for thinking of me during this unfortunate situation," Tracy said. "It will be a privilege to drive the No. 5 Azul-Votorantim entry and I want to dedicate this weekend to achieving the best result possible in honor of Mario and the entire Moraes family."

In five IndyCar starts this year, four with KVRT, Tracy has two top-10 finishes, including a high of sixth two weeks ago in Edmonton. Moraes, 20, is in his second IndyCar Series season and first with KVRT.

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Mid-Ohio Friday Practice Times...................
1. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:08.230 119.139
2. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:08.642 0.412 0.412 118.422
3. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:08.676 0.034 0.446 118.364
4. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:08.839 0.163 0.609 118.084
5. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:08.993 0.154 0.763 117.820
6. 5 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:09.109 0.116 0.879 117.622
7. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:09.144 0.035 0.914 117.563
8. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:09.248 0.104 1.018 117.387
9. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:09.283 0.035 1.053 117.327
10. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:09.356 0.073 1.126 117.203
11. 06 Oriol Servia Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:09.461 0.105 1.231 117.026
12. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:09.499 0.038 1.269 116.963
13. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:09.500 0.001 1.270 116.962
14. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:09.542 0.042 1.312 116.890
15. 33 Robert Doornbos* HVM Racing 1:10.048 0.506 1.818 116.046
16. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:10.153 0.105 1.923 115.872
17. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:10.388 0.235 2.158 115.485
18. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:10.735 0.347 2.505 114.918
19. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:11.805 1.070 3.575 113.207
20. 98 Richard Antinucci CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:12.521 0.716 4.291 112.089
21. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:15.876 3.355 7.646 107.132
* Series rookie

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Mid-Ohio Saturday Practice Times
1. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:07.478 120.466
2. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:07.689 0.211 0.211 120.091
3. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:07.697 0.008 0.219 120.076
4. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:07.980 0.283 0.502 119.577
5. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:08.137 0.157 0.659 119.300
6. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:08.248 0.111 0.770 119.108
7. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:08.342 0.094 0.864 118.943
8. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:08.359 0.017 0.881 118.913
9. 06 Oriol Servia Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:08.462 0.103 0.984 118.735
10. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:08.469 0.007 0.991 118.723
11. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:08.519 0.050 1.041 118.635
12. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:08.666 0.147 1.188 118.382
13. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:09.091 0.425 1.613 117.654
14. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:09.093 0.002 1.615 117.650
15. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:09.266 0.173 1.788 117.356
16. 5 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:09.518 0.252 2.040 116.932
17. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:09.542 0.024 2.064 116.890
18. 98 Richard Antinucci CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:09.644 0.102 2.166 116.718
19. 33 Robert Doornbos* HVM Racing 1:09.858 0.214 2.380 116.361
20. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:10.417 0.559 2.939 115.438
21. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:13.982 3.565 6.504 109.875

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Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Starting Grid................
1. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:06.681 121.905
2. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:06.701 121.870

3. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:07.024 121.282
4. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:07.064 121.210

5. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:07.181 120.999
6. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:07.379 120.643

7. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:07.236 120.899
8. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:07.508 120.412

9. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:07.571 120.300
10. 5 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:07.613 120.226

11. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:07.670 120.124
12. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:07.744 119.993

13. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:08.178 119.229
14. 06 Oriol Servia Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:08.431 118.788

15. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:08.231 119.136
16. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:08.549 118.583

17. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:08.818 118.121
18. 33 Robert Doornbos* HVM Racing 1:08.573 118.542

19. 98 Richard Antinucci CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:08.852 118.063
20. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:14.537 109.057

21. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:09.714 116.602
* Series rookie
~~note #1: from L-R, position, car #, driver, team, time/speed
~~note #2: positions 13-21 set following 1st round qualifying; positions 7-12 set following 2nd round qualifying; positions 1-6 set after final qualifying

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Scott Dixon used a combination of better fuel mileage and good balance of tire selection to win his fourth IndyCar race of the season, but 20th in his IndyCar career. The latter number breaks a tie for most wins under IRL sanctioning that he previously held with Sam Hornish Jr.

"Obviously, it's a fantastic milestone for the team, as we've achieved all those with Target," Dixon said. "Unfortunately, Sam's not here to defend it and that's the sad side of it. It's going to be tough to hang onto that, Helio (Castroneves) is at 16 or so, a couple others on 14 and 15. If I got to 25, 30, it would be pretty cool."

Dixon led a podium sweep for drivers from Ganassi and Team Penske, yet another race where the dominant red cars of the season were the major contributors to the script. Dixon's car was so good on blacks he romped to a margin of victory of a whopping 29.7803 seconds over Briscoe.

"It did feel smooth and good... the car was just really good. It's normally very hard to keep close to the guy in front of you with the same strategy. We were running leaner than them. You don't get cars like this too often."

The win also propelled Dixon, from Chip Ganassi Racing, back to the points lead. For yet another race, the season championship lead changed hands, as Dixon retakes the series lead from Ryan Briscoe.

The pole-sitter finished second, just edging Dario Franchitti. Dixon now leads Briscoe by three points (460-457), with Franchitti third both on the day and the championship at 440 markers.

"We didn't have the speed really," Briscoe said of his race. "I couldn't attack the corners as aggressively as I liked, understeering through the middle. I could see Scott was much faster. He just wouldn't back off. He got us in the pit stops, he went a lot further on the first stint."

Franchitti looked flustered from the 90-plus degree temperatures, with the predicted record heat and the added pressure of a dominant teammate making the usually cool Scotsman sweat profusely.

"We had a good start, managed to pass three cars, and stayed there for the lap," Franchitti said. "At that point the car was pretty good on the reds. But on the blacks, I wasn't happy with the balance of the car. The same problem we had at Edmonton; we have it figured out on the streets but not the roads. It doesn't suit my driving style like it does Scott's."

Winning the underdog, non-CGR and Penske class, was Ryan Hunter-Reay who drove a clean, heady and steady race for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. It's RHR's second-best finish of the season after a runner-up finish at St. Petersburg, and the best finish for Foyt's team this season. Hideki Mutoh finished best in the four-car Andretti Green Racing quartet, fifth overall for his best ever road or street course result.

Dixon's main competition for most of the race was Justin Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing, but Wilson fell to the wolves after running two laps longer in the second stint than was possible with his fuel amount. He had a slow entry into the pit with his car bone dry, and proceeded to stall on exit. The fiasco cost Wilson a sure podium finish and dropped him to an unrepresentative 13th. "Sometimes things don't work out how you want them to," Wilson said of the stop. "But Scott was just unbeatable. I thought we were a lot better of everyone behind him. They've got everything perfect."

The race was largely uneventful around the 2.258-mile road course, with two cautions around half distance breaking up the monotony. Otherwise Mid-Ohio held true to form as somewhat of a procession on a hot and humid day, and the Honda overtake system (push-to-pass) made little difference.

Briscoe started on pole but only led the first five laps before Wilson made his charge. On lap six, Wilson went to the inside of Briscoe into turn 11, to complete the pass for the lead while using the Honda overtake button. In the next five laps, Wilson gapped Briscoe by nearly five seconds. The only incident in the opening stages was an off for Tony Kanaan at the Keyhole, after slight contact with Hunter-Reay in a battle for seventh. Kanaan pitted and changed his tires from reds to blacks.

Wilson continued to lead through the first pit stop cycles as all bar E.J. Viso in the top ten switched from reds to blacks. Dixon jumped Briscoe for second, and as Briscoe struggled with the balance of his car he had an uphill fight to keep Franchitti and Rahal at bay.

Dixon caught Wilson several tenths a lap after the first pit stops, and made the pass for the lead going into turn four. Dixon pitted three laps later than Wilson and that was the difference. Both cars were still stuck trying to lap Duno and Wilson stayed close, but when the leaders passed Duno, Dixon checked out into the next county.

Dixon's lead was momentarily halted for the first full course yellow on lap 40 caused when Helio Castroneves went into the gravel trap at the Keyhole. He recovered to come out of there but pitted and dropped from sixth to 17th.

The race briefly resumed before the second full course caution on lap 45. Mike Conway made an ambitious passing attempt on Danica Patrick into turn four, and Patrick slid into the gravel trap with a severely dusted car. She lost two laps and resumed, but without chance of a good finish from that point. Conway was slapped with a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.

Dixon checked out again on the restart with Wilson giving chase as best he could. A switch to reds for the final stint could have helped but for the eventual downfall. "He didn't need to save fuel in the second stint, so it would be tough to hold him off later," Wilson said.

Marco Andretti ran a longer middle stint on a slightly off-sequence pit strategy and vaulted to second, but once he stopped the order was restored. Andretti finished sixth, ahead of Paul Tracy, Graham Rahal, Raphael Matos and Kanaan. Rahal ran in the top five most of the race but an off-course excursion at the Keyhole dropped him down the order.

Dixon, Briscoe and Franchitti are still incredibly close in the battle for the championship, all separated by 20 points. With four races remaining, only the next round at Sonoma is on a road course with the rest on ovals. Castroneves and Patrick in fourth and fifth have lost touch with the championship leaders, each 100 points or more behind Dixon.