Scott Dixon celebrates victory for the fifth time at Mid Ohio in 2014. [Andy Clary Photo]
As the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series moves to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this Sunday to contest the 90-lap, 203-mile Honda Indy 200, perhaps the owners of the facility should consider renaming the track. If so, they might think about the “Dixon-Ganassi” Sports Car Course.
Why? Because Scott Dixon has won five IndyCar races here since 2007 while Chip Ganassi’s team has seen victory lane ten times beginning in 1996.
Juan Pablo Montoya has led the series’ point standings since the opener at St. Petersburg in March, but Graham Rahal’s been on a tear since winning at Fontana three races ago and has moved to just 42 points behind with Dixon third at -48 with three races remaining, including a double-points finale at Sonoma.
The 2.25-mile, 13-turn road course has hosted 30 Indy car events since Johnny Rutherford won the 1980 USAC inaugural.
Dixon (5), Helio Castroneves (2), Ryan Briscoe, Charlie Kimball and Montoya are active drivers who have won here, but with Rahal hot on his heels in the points, JPM is relying on his winning experience to get him through the weekend.
“We are coming off a disappointing result in Iowa as we get ready for the final three races. Our day wasn’t as bad as it could have been at Iowa,” Montoya explained as he continues to look in his rear view mirror at Rahal and six others who are within 51 points of the leader. “We only lost 12 points to second (Rahal at Iowa), and Mid-Ohio is a place I’ve won before (1999), so I know what it takes to be successful there.” Montoya finished last at Iowa after contact on lap nine put him out of the race.
With the usual 24-cars entered at the popular Buckeye-state track, Rahal leads a late-season charge for the championship that has seen Honda begin to make up the gap that Chevrolet had forged earlier in the season, though the Chevy engine leads Honda by 368 manufacturer points.
“I think we have some great opportunities with the three races ahead of us. I hope we can catch Montoya a little bit. For sure being in second place is cool for me, but I haven’t really thought ahead too much,” said the optimistic second-generation driver who regards Mid-Ohio as his home track. “What gives me confidence is knowing …that last year we did as well as we did (5th) and I don’t think our car was nearly as good then as it is now.”
Dixon, who has dominated here for Ganassi’s squad, winning five of the past eight races, has fallen from second to third in points and finished 18th at Iowa; the last car running at the finish.
“Last year for us I messed-up big time in qualifying and started last, coming from the back of the grid and ended up winning the race. It’s tough to pass there but we had great strategy,” explained the three-time IndyCar champion, “and a lot of help from Ryan Hunter-Reay who spun out at the right time and caused the caution we needed to switch our strategy and go on to win.”
So as Rahal and Dixon prepare to close the point gap on Montoya Sunday, Rahal can’t help but be excited about his chances: “We have been one of the more competitive cars on all tracks. I’m definitely excited to get out there and get running in our Steak ‘n Shake Honda because I do think we have a chance to win this thing.”
OHIO NOTES: • Should a Ganassi car win Sunday it will be the team’s 100th Indy car victory. • Kanaan leads all drivers at Mid-Ohio with 13 starts there and if he qualifies it will be his record 247th consecutive career start. • Twenty of the 24 entered drivers have raced at MO previously. • CART raced here from 1983-2003 and IRL/IndyCar from 2007-2015. • Pocono (August 23) and Sonoma (August 30) are the two remaining series races.
• TV: Qualifying-3:00-4:15 pm E.T., Saturday, Aug. 1, live on NBC Sports/ Race- Green Flag, 2:07 pm E.T. Sunday, Aug. 2, CNBC.
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