LEXINGTON, Ohio – Thirty-six points separate fifth and 10th place in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings heading into the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio this weekend. Six races, 10 weeks left in the season.

“We're entering the final part of the season so now is the time to score some big points," said Simon Pagenaud, who’s still in the thick of the title chase.

Big points are available to those who hit upon the right set-up and, of course, remain out of harm's way.

Justin Wilson points to Scott Dixon, who vaulted from seventh in the standings to second with three consecutive victories in the span of eight days. Heading into the 90-lap race on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, competitors envision similar instant success.

“Like two-thirds of the field we think we can win here,” Wilson said. “We just need to do everything right and one good result would really move you up in the order.”

Wilson, who drives the No. 19 Boys Scouts of America car for Dale Coyne Racing, is ninth in the championship with 296 points (three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 13 races). He’s only 13 points out of fifth place, currently occupied by Pagenaud of Schmidt Hamilton HP Racing.

Bunched in between are Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti, who are tied with 307 points, and three-time race winner James Hinchcliffe (305). Will Power (10th with 273 points) and Charlie Kimball (272) also are in the mix to make jump into the top five with positive results in the final six races.

“I keep saying that the competition level is so great that over a weekend you make five or six changes to the car and for a chance at winning you need all five changes to go right,” Wilson added. “If you make a change and it’s not an improvement, you’re behind the rest of the weekend.

“We just have to keep focused. Six races left and we have to execute in all of them and not get caught up in any incidents. That what it takes – consistency.”

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