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IndyCar: Mid-Ohio Predictions and How to Watch

Scott McLaughlin leads the field at the 2022 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. (Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment)

After a week off following Road America, Alex Palou looks to extend his championship lead even more, as just about everyone else tries to do the opposite at Mid-Ohio.

74 points behind Palou in the championship standings is Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson, who took his lone win of the season to date at the season opener in St. Petersburg. Josef Newgarden is the first non-Ganassi driver to appear in the standings, and despite winning twice already this season, is still seven points behind Ericsson.
Yet only one driver of those three has stood on the top step of the podium at Mid-Ohio, the site for this weekend’s IndyCar Series action, that driver being Newgarden, who took the 2017 and 2021 editions of the race. Last year’s race winner Scott McLaughlin currently sits sixth in the standings, a rather large 125 points behind Palou.

The Track

Opened in 1962 and situated just west of the village of Lexington, Mid-Ohio (officially Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) has played host to American open-wheel racing since 1970, with the modern iteration of IndyCar racing at the track since 2007. Mid-Ohio currently hosts the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Truck Series, and various sports car and endurance events throughout the season. Scott Dixon owns the most IndyCar wins at the track, with six total wins dating back to 2007.

A 2.25-mile lap at Mid-Ohio starts on the short pit straight, which houses the finish line but is not used for race starts and restarts due to its short length. Turn 1 sends drivers down towards “The Keyhole”, a slow hairpin that sees many overtaking opportunities. The back straight follows, and is where drivers find the start line, as well as the slight kink that is Turn 3.

Turn 4 sends drivers to the right directly into a sweeping, up-and-down section of the track that makes up Turns 5 and 6 before going into “The Esses”, where drivers swerve back and forth through 7 and 8 into Turn 9. Turn 9 puts drivers to the right into a short straight, before Turns 10 and 11 twists them into “The Carousel”, which sweeps right by the entry pit road and onto the pit straight, concluding a 13-turn, 2.25-mile lap at Mid-Ohio.

 

Championship Standings

Alex Palou has extended his championship lead to 74 after yet another win, this time at Road America.

  1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing – 324 points
  2. Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing – 250 points
  3. Josef Newgarden, Team Penske – 243 points
  4. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren – 226 points
  5. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing – 226 points

Race Predictions – Mid-Ohio

All good things must come to an end, and that includes Alex Palou’s dominant two-race win streak. I think Josef Newgarden grabs his third win of the season, his first big move to claw away at Palou’s big points lead. However, following him will be Palou himself along with Colton Herta.

  1. Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
  2. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
  3. Colton Herta. Andretti Autosport

How to Watch (All Times in EST)

  • Practice 1: Friday, 6/30 – 3:05 p.m. on Peacock
  • Practice 2: Saturday, 7/1 – 9:45 a.m. on Peacock
  • Qualifying: Saturday, 7/1 – 2:45 p.m. on Peacock
  • Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio: Sunday, 7/2 – 1:30 p.m on USA (80 laps, green flag at 1:53)

All IndyCar sessions are covered live by IndyCar Radio, which can be found on the official IndyCar mobile app or on SiriusXM Channel 160.

For a list of international broadcasters, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment

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