Scott Dixon has history on his side as he takes to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend, becoming the first driver ever to make the start line at the venue 20 times. Along the way, he has picked up a record six wins and led more laps than anyone else, with 261, the equivalent of three and a quarter races over the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit.
Dixon will be relying on a big weekend to keep his championship hopes alive as the season enters the second half, with teammate Alex Palou continuing a solid run of form that has seen him extend his championship lead over the field to 74 points. Fellow Chip Ganassi Racing driver Marcus Ericsson sits second on the table, with Dixon fifth and 98 points off top spot.
“We all had really good cars at the last few road courses, said Dixon. “Obviously, Alex has been on a very good run, so we need to have a great weekend to work on the championship positions.
“We should be confident with what we’ve done previously this year, but as always, it will be interesting to see how the weekend goes with the tough competition. We need to make sure we roll off good, but it’s been a great track for us in the past, and hopefully, we continue that success.”
Rookie Marcus Armstrong joins the Chip Ganassi trio for his seventh round of the season, looking to cement his place as the top rookie in the standings. It will be his first time taking to the course in Mid-Ohio, one which he likens to tracks he has driven on back home.
“This will be a new track for me,” said Armstrong.”It looks very technical and quite similar to a circuit that I grew up driving in New Zealand, with a lot of elevation changes and difficult to maximize.
“I think it will take a few laps to get used to during practice, but after that, I’m confident that we will make the best of it.”
It’s been a breakthrough campaign for the Kiwi in this year’s championship, who sits 18th overall and the best of the rookies despite missing oval rounds. Nine races remain in the 2023 season, with three being ovals.
A complicated strategy saw Armstrong finish 24th at Road America last round, having led four laps before coming in for a pit stop.
Scott McLaughlin rounds out the Kiwi trio in action in Mid-Ohio, having also experienced success on the circuit in his two years of full-time racing. The former Supercars champion finished 12th on debut there in 2021 before taking his second career victory last year.
McLaughlin sits sixth in the standings, 125 points behind Palou.
Qualifying for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio takes place at 6.45 am on Sunday, with the 80-lap race commencing at 5.00 am on Monday. All practice sessions, qualifying, and the race will be shown live on Sky Sport.
Check out our Motorsport Diary for more information on session times and how to follow.
Header Image: Chip Ganassi Racing
