Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
TV: NBCSN telecasts the race live (3 p.m. ET Aug. 3) and qualifications (5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 2). Leigh Diffey is the chief announcer with Townsend Bell and David Hobbs the analysts.
Radio/web: All Verizon IndyCar Series on-track sessions are broadcast on www.IndyCar.com and the INDYCAR 14 app in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring. In addition, the race will be broadcast on IMS Radio Network affiliates, XM 209 and Sirius 213. Paul Page is the chief announcer. … Timing & Scoring for all Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, Pro Mazda and USF2000 sessions also is on IndyCar.com.
Live streaming: Live streaming of all Verizon IndyCar Series practice sessions plus the three rounds of qualifications will be on www.IndyCar.com, incorporating Timing & Scoring and the IMS Radio Network broadcast.
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Twitter: @Mid_Ohio, @IndyCar, #Honda200
Weekend schedule (all times Eastern):
Friday, Aug. 1 – 8:30-9 a.m. USF2000 practice
9:15-9:45 a.m. Pro Mazda practice
10-10:45 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series practice
11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. USF2000 qualifying
1:05-1:45 p.m. Indy Lights practice
2-2:45 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series practice
4 p.m. USF2000 Race 1
Saturday, Aug. 2 – 9 a.m. Indy Lights qualifications
10-10:45 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series practice
1:05 p.m. USF2000 Race 2
2 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series qualifications
3:25 p.m. Indy Lights Race 1
5:35 p.m. Pro Mazda Race 1
Sunday, Aug. 3 – 9:05 a.m. USF2000 Race 3
10-10:30 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series warm-up
10:45 a.m. Pro Mazda Race 2
11:55 a.m. Indy Lights Race 2
3 p.m. NBCSN on air, Verizon Indy Car Series race
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy each day, with highs in the low 80s
Qualifications: Three rounds of qualifying, including the Firestone Fast Six to determine the Verizon P1 Award. Entries divided into two groups for Round 1, with top six lap times in each group after 10 minutes of on-track running advancing to Round 2. Top six lap times after 10 minutes of on-track running in Round 2 advance to Firestone Fast Six.
Race laps: 90 in clockwise direction on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn (four left, nine right) road course as measured by INDCYAR Timing & Scoring.
Start: Two-wide rolling start … single-file restarts.
Pit boxes: 40 feet long.
Tires: Firestone road course primary tires are being used at all 2014 road course events; no change to the tread compound from 2013. The alternate tire also has the same tread compound used in 2013 and is being used at all road course events. Each entrant receives three sets of alternate tires and five sets of primary tires.
Fuel: 74 U.S. gallons of E85 for practice/qualifications and 74 gallons for race ... Verizon IndyCar Series cars carry 18.5 U.S. gallons.
Engines: 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6s supplied by Chevrolet and Honda ... ... 150 kPa turbo boost for road/street course races; 160 kPa for push to pass (10 pushes for 20-second activation).
He said it: “Since it has a few long straights, it’s not necessary to run with maximum downforce but you need a good grip at the second half of the circuit, which has a series of very tricky corners. So the field is mixed up with various downforce levels depending on each team’s set-up philosophy. Also this track is well-known for its very changeable track conditions, in other words, it has huge track evolution. So it’s important to plan ahead rather than chase the track." -- Takuma Sato, driver of the No. 14 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing
2013: Charlie Kimball, driving the No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing car, overtook race leader Simon Pagenaud on Lap 73 of 90 and went on to record his first Verizon IndyCar Series victory. Kimball tied his career high by starting fifth, moved into the lead for the first time on Lap 31 and led again from Laps 48-64. He pitted for the third and final time on Lap 65 and caught Pagenaud, who was on cold tires after pitting on Lap 72, after the Keyhole
For spectators: Driver autograph sessions Aug. 2 are 11:15-11:45 a.m. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and 4:30-5:30 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series at the INDYCAR Fan Village in the infield. The expansive area features numerous displays and interactive games throughout the weekend. … Several concession stands are also in the infield. Grandstand seats complement the hillside seating that overlooks Turns 4-9. ... Jared Boll and James Wisniewski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are grand marshals. Columbus (Ohio) will host the NHL All-Star Game in January. ... The Honda Performance Development CR-Z -- based upon the production Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupe -- will make its debut as a Verizon IndyCar Series Safety Car.
Of note: Juan Pablo Montoya, who’s driving the No. 2 Hawk Performance Team Penske car, won the Aug. 15, 1999, race from the eighth starting position for Target Chip Ganassi Racing en route to the CART championship. He finished 24th in 2000, his only other start. … There have been five different pole winners in the seven races under INDYCAR sanction at Mid-Ohio. There have been 10 different pole winners in 14 races this season. … Ten drives have won from the pole (in 29 races; Scott Dixon the last in 2011). … Dixon is the only four-time Indy car race winner (2007, ’09, ’10 and ’11) at the track. … Chip Ganassi Racing has nine victories, including the past five. … Will Power, who is second in the championship standings entering the race, has finished in the top five in four of his five starts at Mid-Ohio but is seeking his first victory. Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves, who is the championship points leader, won the 2000 and ’01 races. He has three top fives (third, second and third) in the seven races under INDYCAR sanction. … The crews for the Nos. 18 Dale Coyne Racing and 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing cars earned the Firestone Pit Stop Performance awards for the Toronto doubleheader July 20. Each will receive $5,000. The awards are presented to the entrant(s) of the car(s) in pit lane the shortest amount of accumulated time during a race. The car must complete at least 95 percent of the scheduled laps to be eligible.
History: This will be the 30th Indy car race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Johnny Rutherford won the inaugural race on July 13, 1980, with Gordon Johncock finishing second and Bill Alsup in third. Al Unser started from the pole. Indy car racing resumed in 1983 (Teo Fabi holding off Mario Andretti and pole sitter Bobby Rahal) through 2003 under CART sanction. INDYCAR took over the sanctioning of the race in 2007.