It’s the first weekend of July and it is another busy few days of Kiwis competing on the world scene.
IndyCar is now into its second half of the season and its crunch time for Scott Dixon as he pushes for another series crown.
Joining the IndyCar paddock at Mid-Ohio is the usual Road to Indy support categories, which boasts a handful of Kiwi names on the entry lists.
Meanwhile, Jaxon Evans returns to the Red Bull Ring for the second weekend in a row for round three of the Porsche Supercup.
Scott Dixon & Scott McLaughlin
- What: Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
- Where: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, United States
- When: MON 4 am
- How to follow: Sky Sport
Mid-Ohio has been something of a puzzling circuit for Scott Dixon in recent seasons.
Some years, Dixon is straight on the pace and an immediate contender for the race win. Others, he languishes in the depths of the midfield.
The Kiwi won here in 2019 and nearly repeated that last season before an unforced spin dropped him to the cusp of the top ten.
After surrendering ground in the championship to title leader Alex Palou in the last two races, Dixon will be raring to mount a competitive drive and get his series ambitions back on the right note.
At the very least, beating Palou on track will ensure Dixon eats away at the points deficit.
Scott McLaughlin has never raced at the Mid-Ohio circuit before. Still, he has the advantage of this place being a track that favours Team Penske.
Penske scored a 1-2 finish here last year, with Will Power earning his first of two wins that season.
Hunter McElrea
- What: Indy Pro 2000
- Where: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, United States
- When: R1 SUN 2.50 am | R2 MON 1 am
- How to follow: YouTube live stream
“Giving up is not an option”.
Those are the words of young Hunter McElrea after the last Indy Pro 2000 round at Road America, where issues outside his control hindered his pace.
The title is still a realistic possibility for McElrea. But with four rounds left in the season, he needs to kick off his fightback this weekend.
The 21-year-old scored a podium at Mid-Ohio last year, and he was victorious at the circuit in USF2000 in 2019.
It is a place McElrea knows well and has enjoyed competitive results at in the past.
That should be enough for him to come into this weekend with his tail up as he locks his focus on the ultimate end-of-season goal.
Billy Frazer and Peter Vodanovich
- What: USF2000
- Where: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, United States
- When: R1 SAT 8.20 am | R2 SUN 6.30 am | R3 MON 12.05 am
- How to follow: YouTube live stream
With three rounds remaining in their rookie season, Billy Frazer and Peter Vodanovich have only a few races left to better their championship position.
Unfortunately, the remaining three circuits are ones neither have visited before, meaning they will be challenged to find their step quickly.
Frazer spoke to Velocity News earlier this week, and he identified qualifying as his biggest weakness.
He aims to qualify inside the top ten for the remaining rounds, beginning this weekend. A higher starting position will give him a stable platform to launch an attack on the front runners.
Vodanovich has made a name for himself as a bit of an overtaking king this season.
The former Toyota 86 champion will also target a stronger qualifying session and hopefully have a weekend where the persistent mechanical gremlins are resolved.
Jaxon Evans
- What: Porsche Supercup
- Where: Red Bull Ring, Austria
- When: SUN 10.15 pm
- How to follow: Spark Sport
After his podium in Monaco, Jaxon Evans was hoping for another competitive weekend at the circuit where he claimed his maiden series win at last year.
Unfortunately, last weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring saw Evans drop a spot on lap one before circling around in sixth to the chequered flag.
The Kiwi is very quick and is one of the favourites for this year’s championship crown. So don’t discount a bounce back from Evans this weekend.
Overtaking has proven to be a challenge this year. Thus, there is added emphasis on securing a good qualifying position on Saturday.
Evans is currently third in the standings, 20 points adrift of leader Larry ten Voorde.