2023 Honda Indy 200

Race Notes

• The 2023 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio was 80 laps on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course totaling 180.64 miles. The pit road speed was 45 mph and the race started the fourth time by the alternate start line on the back straight with pole sitter Colton Herta gridded drivers' right. The start was double file and the restart was single file. The race leader accelerated for the restart, which used the main start-finish line on the front stretch, in Turn 12.
• The fuel window was 20–29 laps under green-flag conditions, depending on race strategy and tire usage.
• Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, Felix Rosenqvist, Alexander Rossi, Callum Ilott, Benjamin Pedersen and Devlin DeFrancesco started the race on black primary tires. The remainder of the drivers started on red alternate tires. Each car was required to use one set of new alternate red tires and one set of primary black tires during the race.
• At 1:32 p.m. EDT, 21 minutes before the scheduled green-flag time, the ambient temperature was 74 degrees. The track temperature was 82 degrees according to Firestone Racing engineers.
• At 1:46 p.m., the command to start engines was given and all cars rolled off the grid.
• On Lap 1, Herta led the field across the alternate start line. Contact between Marcus Ericsson and Rosenqvist in Turn 6 led to the race's first and only caution on Lap 1. Ericsson was later judged to have engaged in avoidable contact.
• Racing resumed on Lap 6 with Herta continuing out front. Herta would go on to lead the opening 26 laps until his first pit stop. Following the first round of green-flag pit stops, Palou assumed the race lead and only gave it up during the second round of green-flag stops.
• Palou went on to lead a total of 48 laps, easily earning the two bonus points for leading the most laps.
• Maintaining a healthy lead for must of the second and third stints of the race, Palou encountered issues when he was trapped behind the No. 55 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet of Pedersen, who kept Palou at bay while trying to remain on the lead lap. This allowed Herta to close the gap during the second stint, however the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda was assessed a pit lane speed violation and ordered to serve a drive-through penalty. The infraction dropped Herta out of contention.
• Palou went on to take the white flag with a 5.67778-second advantage over teammate Dixon.
• Palou's victory at Mid-Ohio was his third consecutive win and his fourth victory of the 2023 season. It marked his eighth career win. The achievement was Chip Ganassi Racing's 12th win at Mid-Ohio, tying Team Penske for the most NTT IndyCar Series victories at the track.
• Palou became the first driver to win three consecutive races since Scott Dixon in 2020. Dixon also achieved the feat in 2013 and 2007.
• Pato O'Ward was the most improved driver, advancing 17 positions during the race. He finished eighth after starting 25th.
• Unofficial points after the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America:
• Unofficial points after the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio:
  1. Palou 377
  2. Dixon 267
  3. Newgarden 261
  4. Ericsson 255
  5. O'Ward 250
  6. McLaughlin 229
  7. Power 226
  8. Rossi 216
  9. Herta 203
  10. Lundgaard 194
      

Session Notes

• Warm-up for the 2023 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio began at 10:30 a.m. EDT and was 30 minutes in duration.
• In a change from the published entry list, Conor Daly stepped into the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda in place of Simon Pagenaud, who is not cleared to drive after his practice crash. Pagenaud will be reevaluated prior to the Honda Indy Toronto in two weeks.
• Warm-up slowed for one red flag at 10:39 a.m. when the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet of Will Power went off track at Turn 4 and had to be removed from the gravel by the safety team. Power was assessed a five-minute time penalty for causing a red flag during practice.
• Two other penalties were handed out during warm-up, both for pit lane speed violations:
  • Daly was penalized for a violation at pit out and served a drive-through penalty.
  • Castroneves served a drive-through penalty for a violation at pit in just after the red flag.
• At the conclusion of warm-up, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal had the fastest lap, a 1:08.4255 in the No. 15 Honda.
  

Qualifying Notes

• Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award consists of three segments. In the first round, each group receives 10 minutes of track time with the clock starting when the first car hits the alternate start-finish line. The fastest six cars from each group advance to Round 2 while the remaining cars are assigned positions 13 to 27. Group 1 drivers will occupy the odd-numbered positions while Group 2 drivers will occupy the even-numbered positions based on their fastest lap times. During Round 2, the 12 advancing cars receive 10 minutes of track time with the fastest six cars advancing to the Firestone Fast Six while the remaining cars are ranked in positions seven through 12 based on their fastest laps. During the Firestone Fast Six, the six cars receive six minutes of guaranteed green-flag time. At the end of session, cars are ranked one through six based on their fastest laps.
• Qualifying for the 2023 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix began at 1:25 p.m. EDT, 10 minutes after its scheduled start time.
• One red flag interrupted qualifying when the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Pato O'Ward spun at Turn 2 during Group 1. The incident stripped O'Ward of his fastest two laps and the ability to advance. He was also unable to continue in the session.
• The following drivers advanced to the Firestone Fast Six: Colton Herta, Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal, Kyle Kirkwood, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou.
• Notably, all of the Firestone Fast Six participants were powered by Honda.
• At the conclusion of Round 3, Herta had the fastest lap and secured his 11th career NTT P1 Award and his second pole of 2023. He was also the pole winner at Road America two weeks ago.
  

Session Notes

• Practice 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course ran from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. EDT, with 45 minutes of track time within the one-hour window.
• Six minutes after the green flag, the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Simon Pagenaud went off track at Turn 4 after experiencing a mechanical issue on the back straight. The car barrel rolled six-and-a-half times before coming to rest against the tire barrier at the inside of Turn 5. Pagenaud was assisted from his car by the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team and was later checked and released by the IU Health INDYCAR Safety Unit. However, per INDYCAR protocol, Pagenaud was not cleared to immediately return to on-track activities and will miss qualifying. He will be reevaluated Sunday morning.
• Practice paused once more at 10:28 a.m. for the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet of Santino Ferrucci, which went off track at Turn 12. Ferrucci's car was returned to the track by the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team and was able to continue in the session.
• At the conclusion of the one-hour window, Team Penske's Will Power was fastest with a 1:06.4905 in the No. 12 Chevrolet.
  

Session Notes

• Practice 1 for the 2023 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio was 75 minutes in duration and began on time at 3:05 p.m. EDT.
• Two penalties were issued:
  • Three minutes after the session's start, the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon was assessed a drive-through penalty for a pit speed violation at pit in.
  • At 3:30 p.m., the No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Helio Castroneves brought out a red flag after spinning off course at Turn 5. Castroneves received a five-minute time penalty.
• At the conclusion of Practice 1, the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Pato O'Ward was fastest with a 1:06.4935, fastest than his own Mid-Ohio pole time in 2022.