Thoughts on Mid-Ohio

I am in the midst of a job transition so I have not had as much time for IndyCar as I would like. I may be in the minority, but I like that there are only three more races left this season. The timing is perfect for me as I begin this new role. Of course I will still maintain the same interest and enthusiasm for IndyCar, even during the off-season. However, I may need to take a break from this blog for a bit.

That being said, I do belatedly have some reflections on Mid-Ohio. Typically this is not the most exciting track on the schedule, which is an understatement, but this year Mid-Ohio gave us a surprisingly racy event. I thought we saw a good number of passes, and my heart was pounding at numerous points during the race. We also saw more cautions than we perhaps have ever seen at this track, no one bigger than the one before the first lap was even completed.

Everyone is raving about Scott Dixon's charge from last to first, calling it an astonishing victory and the drive of a true racer. I have to respectfully disagree. For one, Dixon got a huge break on the first lap when several cars (including his teammate Tony Kanaan) wrecked in front of him, and several others had to swerve out of the way. He was able to pass about eight cars in that melee. While it's true that he skillfully maneuvered his way around the carnage, he was also a lucky beneficiary that others were caught up in it. Throughout the race, I never really saw him pass many cars to charge to the front, like we did with Josef Newgarden (more on him in a minute). When someone says "he went from worst to first" I expect that he was slicing and dicing his way through the field. That wasn't the case with Dixon. He got a few timely or lucky cautions, capitalized on Newgarden's pit crew's mistake, and saved fuel until the end, as he always does. Sunday's win marked Dixon's fifth at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, so we shouldn't be surprised that he was standing atop the podium. (Take that, Jeff Gordon and your five Brickyard 400 wins!) I just could not get excited about seeing Dixon in Victory Lane, even though it did give Ganassi their first win of the year and IndyCar its tenth different winner this season.

It would have been a far more interesting and heartwarming story had Josef Newgarden been able to hold on and claim his first IndyCar victory. He sliced and diced his way through the field (after initially falling back) and made some masterful passes. I would be surprised to find anyone who wasn't rooting for Newgarden to win, or anyone who didn't feel at least a little deflated when he encountered pit problems. I have to say, I was kind of expecting a problem, though not quite in the way we saw. To leave an air hose out so blatantly just screams of a rookie, nervous mistake. I think the crew felt pressured because they had the lead and had to nail that final pit stop. Later, we learned that the original plan was for Newgarden to stay out a lap longer, so perhaps they didn't have time to gather themselves. The Newgarden incident should be a required training video for all new pit crews. It reminded us why racing is a team sport, and why the top teams only hire the best. It was just a gut-wrenching experience to watch. To his credit, Newgarden did not throw anyone under the bus, which only makes me and many other fans like him even more. His day is coming, and hopefully he can give Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing their second IndyCar win and earn his first, well-deserved victory along with it.

With Ryan Hunter-Reay and Helio Castroneves both having issues during the race, that allowed Will Power to reclaim the championship lead, albeit by a measly four points. Simon Pagenaud is another contender to watch, but he also did not have a great race. It's exciting to watch this championship play out because it's still anyone's to win (or lose). IndyCar has a great battle ahead of them in these remaining three races, all without a playoff or "chase" format. That's one thing they definitely have going for them. Can't wait to see how it all plays out!