Championship leader Helio Castroneves
Heading into the race at Mid-Ohio this afternoon, it’s been a very topsy-turvey season in the Izod Indycar championship, America’s premier open wheel series. Not only is perennial championship contender (and bridesmaid) Will Power lying 10th after 13 rounds but his employer, the mighty Team Penske, has only one win. If it’s any consolation (and it won’t be to Power), that lone Penske win was by Helio Castroneves at the Firestone 550 at the big oval in Texas in round 8. Despite that paltry victory total, it’s the 3-time Indy 500 winner who tops the driver’s standings with 425 points due to excellent consistency if not outright speed.
Hot on the Brazilian’s heels is Kiwi Scott Dixon with 396 points for the Ganassi team, Penske’s arch-rival. Dixon is smoking hot having won the last 3 races in a row (yes, you read that right): Indycar’s return to Pocono’s “Tricky Traingle” on July 7th and then the 2-day double header in Toronto the following weekend. You’ve got to like Dixon’s chances of cruising by Castroneves in the overall today, having won the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio four out of the last six seasons. It’s hard to imagine one driver being so dominant at a course as technical as this one but Dixie is definitely the real deal and I like his chances for another win today. In fact, I also like him to finish up the season as overall champion.
Contender Scott Dixon has a lot to smile about lately
Other notables:
Last year’s champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has 2 race wins and is 3rd in the points after having some bad luck (such as an out of control Takuma Sato inexplicably ramming him on pit entry at Pocono, thereby ruining his race). He has the might of the formidable Team Andretti behind him, though, so it would be premature to count him out for a repeat of his title in 2013, especially after nearly setting the course record in qualy this weekend at Mid-Ohio.
Hunter-Reay’s teammate, 3rd generation racer Marco Andretti, sits fourth with a fast car and several high finishes but no race wins yet. Frenchman Simon Pagenaud has come on strong after early season struggles with setup and sits 5th with one win. Veteran Brazilian Tony Kanaan sits 6th and also has only one win. But it was the big one at the Indy 500. Driving for Jimmy Vasser’s small KV Racing along with 19th place Simona De Silvestro, he’s probably not a true contender against the better funded teams.
Four-time Indycar champion Dario Franchitti has struggled mightily ever since the switch to the Delarra DW12 chassis. Although his race form has improved recently, he is probably relegated to supporting Ganassi teammate Dixon going forward since he sits 7th with zero wins and over 100 points adrift of Castroneves. Impressive Canadian and all around funny guy James “Mayor of Hinchtown” Hinchcliffe has 3 wins but also a spate of early DNFs. He sits 8th and while he is not a contender this year, the third-year Indycar driver is genuinely fast and could well win the championship one of these years… if he can ever achieve consistent points scoring results.
Enjoy one of the great American Road courses at Mid-Ohio!