CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Indy 200 at Mid-OhioMid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio Race Advance July 4-6 Detroit (July 3, 2025) – The tenth round of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, marks the beginning of a jam-packed July, featuring a four-weekend stretch that includes five races. Chevrolet-powered drivers have had recent success at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, winning three of the last four races, including Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, winning the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race where drivers were able to utilize the hybrid power unit. The 26-year-old Mexican was joined on the podium by fellow Team Chevy driver Scott McLaughlin, the winner of the 2022 race with Team Penske. The Team Chevy drivers and teams will face a few challenging wrinkles at the annual Fourth of July trip to the center of the Buckeye State. First, after a complete resurfacing before the 2024 race, the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course underwent its first significant change in 1989, with notable modifications at the end of the long back straight. Utilizing the existing apex curbing, the right-hand Turn 4 saw the banking lowered from 4 degrees to 2 degrees, and the large gravel trap known as ‘China Beach’ was regraded to flatten out a downhill grade. Next, there are significant investments in drainage to improve raceability in the rain, as well as over 5,000 feet of new barrier and fencing to enhance safety. Lastly, after several years as an 80-lap event, the Mid-Ohio round returns to its original 90-lap distance, the race distance before 2020. Chevrolet at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Chevrolet-powered drivers have made 240 starts across 26 races (25 seasons) at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with 153 of those starts coming in the 14 races since the introduction of the twin-turbo, 2.2L V6 engine in 2012. O’Ward started on the outside of the front row in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to score Team Chevy’s 12th win at the Lexington, Ohio road course, tying them for the top spot. Six teams have accounted for a manufacturer’s best 13 pole positions, including Team Penske’s seven poles from Will Power (4), Josef Newgarden (1), Simon Pagenaud (1) and Danny Sullivan (1). Chevrolet-powered drivers have led a total of 1034 laps of the 2.258-mile, 13-Turn Mid-Ohio road course, with Will Power (178), Emerson Fittipaldi (168), Josef Newgarden (159) and Michael Andretti (152) all leading over 100 laps with Bowtie power. Tune-In Alert Friday· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Saturday· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 10:30am (ET)/9:30am (CT)/8:30am (MT)/7:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)/12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218· Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (90 laps) – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: A.J. FOYT RACING David Malukas, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet: You are on a roll with strong qualifying runs and a great recovery at Road America. Do you think that marks a turning point for you and the team? “I feel like we’ve had a turning point since the month of May. Having the entire month together with the team helped build our relationships with each other and the car. We’ve been having some good speed building with each race and we are excited to see what comes next.” You have finished ninth, sixth and 12th in three starts at Mid-Ohio. What do you like about the Mid-Ohio track? “Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite tracks to drive around. If I were to pick a track to just do laps on, Mid-Ohio would be up there. I’ve managed to understand the track well and get a good rhythm of speed.” What do you find challenging at that track? “Mid-Ohio is all the about the flow from turns 4 to 9. One mistake throughout those corners, and you’ll be off line throughout the rest losing lots of time. It’s a track where being consistent is very important.” You have five races in four weeks. Is it tougher on the driver or the crew and why? “Definitely tougher on the crew. We get to have a few days between each race to rest and recover while the crew needs to transport the car to and from and rebuild the car for the next race. Their jobs never stop and deserve lots of praise for what they do.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing/Sexton Properties Chevrolet: You are on a roll with top five runs in the like the last four races and you’ve moved to third in the Indycar.com Power Rankings. What are your thoughts on that, and what will it take to keep that hot streak going? “Obviously, very, very proud to be, you know, p3 in the power rankings, and to be finishing the top five this much. And honestly, I think we’ve had really good cars, we’ve done a really good job with engineering and strategy and pit stops. Plus staying clean and having good races. I think if we continue that, we will be able to continue fighting for podiums and wins.” What do you like about Mid-Ohio? “Overall , it’s just a very fun track, a very technical track, and I’m very excited to be going back there with last year’s success when we finished 10th and got the Biggest Mover award because we started 21st.” You have two top 10s in six starts at Mid-Ohio. What do you find challenging about that track? “It’s challenging because it’s really hard to pass there. So qualifying is important. It’s a rather technical track, but everybody’s run it so much that everybody’s also really good. So being perfect is going to be important.” Since you, you mentioned that passing is hard, how did you go from 17th to ninth? “I passed a bunch of people, and we had a good pit strategy. That was what made that race, but we were one of the only people passing. I’d say the best places to pass are probably into the keyhole, which is, I believe, turn two, and then down the back straight into four, which has now been repaved. So, you don’t really know how that’s going to play out.” You have five races in four weeks. Is it tougher on the driver or the crew? And why? “Probably tougher on the crew, because they’ve got to be at the track early and stay late working on the car versus the drivers. We get a little bit more downtime on the race weekends, and we get to go home between races. I’ll be staying out between the races this year, so, I’ll be on the same schedule as the crew, which I’m looking forward to. I think that’ll be a lot of fun.” What are you doing right now (at time of interview on Tuesday)?“I think I broke a valve on my Corvette, so I’m over doing valve covers and ignition coils. I’m over here working on cars before I leave. What else is new? Hey A.J. would be proud.” ARROW MCLAREN Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “I’m excited to head back to Mid-Ohio to defend my win from last year. This is a great racetrack and I know we’re capable of coming away with another victory here this weekend. We didn’t have the weekend we wanted in Road America, so this is the place to get back on the right footing and fight near the top.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “We had our best result of the season at Road America, and it’s definitely something to build on. I feel like we’re starting to hit our stride, so that makes me even more excited to get on track this weekend at Mid-Ohio. We’re starting to get to tracks where I raced with Arrow McLaren last year, so I feel like our best is ahead of us.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “We’re entering a busy and important stretch of the season with a lot of races in a row, but we’ve got to focus on one race at a time. That starts with Mid-Ohio this weekend. We’ve been fast on road courses all season and I don’t see why that would change here, especially a place this team has won in the past. I’m ready to get this stretch going.” ED CARPENTER RACING Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet: “I can’t wait to get the summer stretch started here this weekend in Mid-Ohio! It is a track that I have always enjoyed and I look forward to continuing to develop our road course package there this weekend.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet: “I am looking forward to Mid-Ohio! It was my strongest weekend last year and was my best finish in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at that point. We should have a good weekend, we are becoming stronger and stronger the more races we do this year. I am excited to see what we can do this weekend!” TEAM PENSKE Josef Newgarden, No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet: “The Mid-Ohio weekend around the Fourth of July is one of the coolest race weekends on the INDYCAR SERIES schedule. It is really a perfect example of how to celebrate the holiday with fans camping all over the grounds with red, white and blue everywhere. You can smell the cookouts each afternoon. And Mid-Ohio is a classic American road course that puts on an entertaining race. Chevrolet belongs in Victory Lane there on the Fourth of July weekend, and the PPG Chevrolet team is prepared to do just that.” Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet: “This weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio is a big one for me and the ‘Thirsty Threes.’ We’re bringing a new-look Odyssey Battery Chevy to the track; primarily black instead of the white one we won with in 2022. It looks amazing and will look good in Victory Lane again. We need that, for sure. Once we get that first win of the season I think we will go on a roll, both the 3 car team and my teammates. But it’s also my first Fourth of July as an American citizen. One of the things I love about this country is how our independence and our military are honored and respected through holidays like the Fourth. Mid-Ohio is a great track for this holiday weekend.” Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet: “Really getting into the meat of the season this weekend at Mid-Ohio. July is going to be a massively busy month for everyone. Obviously, we want to have multiple wins by this point in the season, but we’ve had super quick Verizon Chevys for most of the year. But in INDYCAR you need more than just speed; you need the proper strategy and a fair amount of good fortune to make that strategy work. We just have not been on the good side of that so far this season, but it can turn in an instant.” |
 |
| Chevrolet at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Chevrolet wins at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: 12 2024 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2021 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (pictured above)2020 Race #1 – Will Power – Team Penske2017 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2014 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing1993 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1992 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing 1988 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing Chevrolet poles at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: 13 2022 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2021 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2020 Race #1 – Will Power – Team Penske2019 – Will Power – Team Penske2017 – Will Power – Team Penske2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2015 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2014 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology2013 – Ryan Hunter-Reay – Andretti Global2012 – Will Power – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing 1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske Chevrolet podiums at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: 33 Chevrolet podiums at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course by driver: Will Power (7), Emerson Fittipaldi (4), Michael Andretti (3), Josef Newgarden (3), Al Unser Jr. (3), Mario Andretti (2), Scott McLaughlin (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Sebastien Bourdais (1), Rick Mears (1), Pato O’Ward (1), Bob Rahal (1), Danny Sullivan (1) and Paul Tracy (1). Chevrolet podiums at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course by team: Team Penske (19), Newman Haas Racing (6), Galles Racing (4), Arrow McLaren (1), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), KV Racing Technology (1) and Patrick Racing (1) Chevrolet laps led at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: 1034 Chevrolet laps led at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course by driver: Will Power (178), Emerson Fittipaldi (168), Michael Andretti (152), Scott Dixon (67), Pato O’Ward (52), Scott McLaughlin (49), Mario Andretti (44), Sebastien Bourdais (38), Ryan Hunter-Reay (30), Juan Montoya (30), Simon Pagenaud (23), Paul Tracy (23), Al Unser Jr. (11), Helio Castroneves (6), James Hinchcliffe (2), and Danny Sullivan (2) Chevrolet laps led at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course by team: Team Penske (573), Newman Haas Racing (196), Chip Ganassi Racing (67), Patrick Racing (63), Arrow McLaren (52), KV Racing Technology (38), Andretti Global (32), Galles Racing (11), and Ed Carpenter Racing (2) HISTORICAL INFORMATION Manufacturer history at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Wins (with competition) 12 – Chevrolet (2024, 2022, 2021, 2020 Race #1, 2017, 2016, 2014, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989)12 – Honda (2023, 2020 Race #2, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2001, 2000, 1999 1997, 1996)6 – Cosworth (1987, 1986, 1986, 1984, 1983, 1980)2 – Ford (2002, 1998)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1995)1 – Porsche (1989) Poles (with competition) 13 – Chevrolet (2022, 2021, 2020 Race #1, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 1991, 1990, 1988)9 – Honda (2024, 2023 2020 Race #2, 2018, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996)6 – Cosworth (1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1980)5 – Ford (2002, 1997, 1995, 1993, 1992)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Porsche (1989) INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979) Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present) Chevrolet-Powered Wins (All-time) |