Indy 200 At Mid-Ohio

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is an IndyCar Series race held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Professional open wheel races at the facility date back to 1970. The U.S. Formula 5000 series ran from 1970 to 1976, and the revived Can-Am series ran from 1977 to 1980.

The CART series debuted at the track in 1980, and continued to race there from 1983 to 2003. In 2007, American open wheel racing returned to the venue, when the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series held an event. The race used to be part of a doubleheader with the American Le Mans Series, however in ALMS chose not to return to the track during its final year, 2013.

The history of open-wheel races has a unique footnote. The race has been won consecutively on seven occasions, including four times in a row from 1991 to 1997. It is also one of only a few Indy car races to be won by two sets of fathers & sons. ( Mario & Michael Andretti and Bobby & Graham Rahal).

Since 2007, the race has been sponsored by Honda. The sponsorship arrangement complements the track's proximity to the manufacturer's assembly plants in Marysville, East Liberty, and Anna.

Race history

Indy car racing first visited Mid-Ohio in 1980. In late 1981, Truesports owner Jim Trueman purchased the Mid-Ohio facility, and early rumors had the track returning for the 1982 CART season. However, a race did not happen until 1983. CART then appeared annually through 2003. The race was well-attended, drawing fans from two major markets nearby, Columbus and Cleveland. Crowds topped 75,000-80,000 at the peak of its popularity. The race schedule usually included a large slate of support races including Indy Lights, Atlantics, and SCCA.

In mid-2003, CART president Chris Pook hinted at dropping Mid-Ohio from the CART schedule going forward, citing various issues. For many years, Mid-Ohio was on the schedule alongside the Grand Prix of Cleveland, and Pook stated it was not viable to have two races in such close proximity, and favored keeping the race at Cleveland instead. In addition, some observers felt that the powerful CART/Champ Cars had "outgrown" the narrow, winding course, citing a lack of passing and competition over the previous several years. Though the decision was generally unpopular with fans, Mid-Ohio was dropped from the Champ Car schedule for 2004.

In late 2006, it was announced that the race would be revived as part of the Indy Racing League. Restarting in 2007, the race would be sponsored by IRL engine supplier Honda, which has a prominent manufacturing presence in the central Ohio area.

Through much of its history, the track has been considered the hometown venue for first Truesports (1980s) and later Rahal Letterman Racing (1990s-present). Jim Trueman and the Trueman family owned the track from 1981 to 2007. Truesports scored two poles and two wins, while Rahal Letterman Racing has scored one pole and one win.

Chip Ganassi Racing leads with eleven total victories, with driver Scott Dixon scoring six of those wins. Penske has the most poles (12). Mario and Michael Andretti have combined for three wins and five poles, and Bobby and Graham Rahal have a combined three wins and two poles.

Race scheduling

In early years of the event under CART, the race was scheduled for Labor Day weekend. In 1990, it was pushed back two weeks into mid-September. Rain and cooler temperatures, however, prompted officials to move the race to the summer. For 1994, it was situated in early to mid-August, the weekend after the Brickyard 400.

When the race was revived by the Indy Racing League in 2007, it was placed in July. Carried by ABC, it immediately followed final round coverage of the British Open. Such a lead-in usually created a strong television audience, but it was at the risk of the golf tournament running long due to a playoff, as it did in 2007. Starting in 2009, the race was moved back to its early August slot.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race originally scheduled for August 16 was moved up to the weekend of August 8–9 and was expanded to a doubleheader. It was to be the final race prior to the Indianapolis 500. Days later, however, it was postponed until a later date. Eventually, the doubleheader was rescheduled for the weekend of September 12–13. In 2021, the race was moved to July 4, and was held as a television doubleheader with the NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America.

Course layout

Through 1989, the race utilized the original full 2.4-mile track layout, which included the chicane (turns 2 and 3) just before the keyhole (turn 4). During a track repaving project in early 1990, a straightaway segment was paved to create an alternate layout which bypasses the chicane. The alternate layout measured 2.25 miles. Since the 1990 race, the Indy cars have utilized the alternate course, bypassing the chicane and creating a passing zone going into the keyhole.

In all years except for 1980, the Indy cars have utilized the auxiliary starting line located at the midpoint of the backstretch. This allows the entire field to properly assemble into the grid formation, and start the race heading towards the best passing zone on the circuit. The pace car pulls off into the pits as normal, and allow the pole position car to pace the field all the way to the backstretch. Since the start/finish line at the pit straight is immediately proceeded by the tight and slow carousel, it does not allow for optimum racing into the first turn. The finish line and all other scoring is done at the line on the pit straight. Over the years, restarts after caution periods were previously done at the pit straight, but since 2017, sometimes those too have been moved to the auxiliary starting line.

The first lap of the race is not officially scored until the cars cross the auxiliary start line on the backstretch. This removes approximately one mile from the first lap's distance, although teams still must factor in the distance in fuel calculations. From 1983 to 1989, the 84-lap race on the 2.4-mile circuit had an official distance of 200.25 miles. Likewise in 1990, the race distance for the 89-lap race on the 2.25 mile circuit was 199.3 miles. Though the race distance in laps has changed over the years, a similar deduction is still made in official race distance with respect to the race mileage.

Past winners

*1994: Race shortened due to time limit.
*2020: Race postponed and made into a doubleheader (75 laps each) due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Support race winners

*Indy Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000 ran two weekends at the track in 2020 and to make up for races canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first weekend was run as a standalone event on the originally scheduled IndyCar race weekend, while the second was run in support of the IndyCar Series on their rescheduled date. The two series, and Indy Lights, ran two weekends at the track in 2021. The first weekend was on the IndyCar Series weekend, and the second in October was run to replace the Toronto races cancelled by Ontario restrictions.

Race summaries

Formula 5000

*1970: The first major open wheel race at Mid-Ohio saw the SCCA Continental Championship, contested with Formula A machines. George Follmer took the lead at the start and led all 42 laps. Follmer, driving the only Ford in the field, beat second place John Cannon by nearly one minute. Mark Donohue, who crashed his car in practice on Friday, charged from last place to 3rd at the finish.
*1971: The event, part of the 1971 SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship, was run in two 30-lap heats on Monday, the day after Independence Day. In the first heat, Sam Posey started on the pole position and led the first 28 laps. David Hobbs passed Posey on lap 29 and held on to win the first heat by 0.2 seconds. In the second heat, Posey dominated, leading 28 laps. He beat Hobbs to the finish by 18 seconds, and by virtue of the larger margin of victory, was declared the overall winner. Hobbs was caught up in a battle for second with Eppie Wietzes. Hobbs made the pass for second place with two laps to go, but was too far behind to catch Posey for the win.
*1973: Jody Scheckter held off Brian Redman to win the 100-mile Formula 5000 L&M Championship race. Scheckter pulled out to a 29-second advantage at one point, but his lead shrunk after rain showers entered the area. He found himself stuck behind several slow backmarker cars, and Redman charged to close the gap. Suffering from brake problems, and a brief miscommunication with his crew, Scheckter was even seen shaking his first angrily at the lapped cars blocking him. Redman and Schekter touched wheels when Redman tried to take the lead, but he put two wheels off the track, and Scheckter held the position. At the checkered flag, Scheckter won by 0.791 seconds over Redman, with Mark Donohue coming home third.
*1975: Brian Redman won the 42-lap, 100-mile, Buckeye Cup Formula 5000 race, his second consecutive victory in the event. Redman took the lead on lap 31 after Mario Andretti's car broke down. Redman won by 27.22 seconds over Al Unser. The race was marred by a first lap crash involving B.J. Swanson. At the start, going into turn one, Swanson suffered a stuck throttle, and crashed head-on into a guardrail and bridge. Swanson died from head injuries three days later.

CART PPG Indy Car World Series

*1980: The Indy cars visited Mid-Ohio for the first time in 1980, under the USAC/CART CRL banner. Brothers Al and Bobby Unser started on the front row, but both would drop out early with mechanical problems. A rather disjointed start saw the ragged field come out of the carousel and be met with a yellow flag at the starter's stand. The field checked up, and Al Unser went spinning into the grass in turn one. It took a few laps to reassemble the field, and the race finally was started. Rick Mears took the lead for the first time on lap 13, with Johnny Rutherford close behind in second. The two cars battled for the lead over many laps, with Mears holding off Rutherford's challenges. Late in the race, Rutherford made his final pit stop, leaving Mears in the lead by about 20 seconds. Mears, however, was suffering from the heat, which caused him to spin out in turn 12. Mears lost a lap, handing the lead to Rutherford in the Chaparral 2K. Moments later, Mears tangled with the spinning car of Rick Muther, and he was out of the race. Johnny Rutherford cruised to victory over the final 19 laps, beating Gordon Johncock by 23.07 seconds. Only seven cars were running at the finish.
*1983: The Indy cars returned to Mid-Ohio for the second time, as part of the CART PPG Indy Car World Series. Polesitter and hometown favorite Bobby Rahal led the first 18 laps, but was forced to pit with a fuel pickup problem. Teo Fabi assumed the lead on lap 27, and never relinquished it. Contenders John Paul Jr. and Al Unser Jr. both fell by the wayside, while second place Mario Andretti was never able to mount a strong challenge on Fabi. Fabi stretched out to a 45-second lead at one point, and made his final pit stop without losing the lead. Fabi won by 25 seconds over Andretti. Despite two unscheduled pit stops, Bobby Rahal still managed to come home in third.
*1984: The race was moved to Labor Day weekend beginning in 1984. On a hot, 90° day, Mario Andretti dominated the race, leading 76 of the 84 laps. He lapped all but second place Bobby Rahal, who finished 37.9 seconds behind. The hot conditions took a toll on the field, with numerous drivers, including Andretti, complaining of exhaustion and heat-related fatigue. No driver was able to mount any sort of challenge for the win, and Andretti only relinquished the lead during pit stops. Rahal gave up the chase with about 14 laps to go, and third place Danny Sullivan was more than a lap down, allowing Andretti to cruise to victory.

*1985: Hometown favorite Bobby Rahal won the pole position with a new track record (114.791 mph), and led 83 of the 84 laps, en route to a dominating victory. It was Rahal's first Indy car win at Mid-Ohio, in his third attempt. Mario Andretti was running second with just over one lap to go when he blew a tire down the backstretch and skidded to a halt in the grass. Andretti dropped to seventh at the finish, while Danny Sullivan came home in second place.
*1986: Bobby Rahal was victorious again, winning one of the more exciting races thus far at Mid-Ohio. Mario Andretti started from the pole position and led the first 12 laps until he dropped out with exhaust problems. Danny Sullivan led 60 of the next 61 laps, with Rahal close behind. The two cars battled for the lead most of the day, with Sullivan able to hold off Rahal. Coming out of the keyhole with nine laps to go, Sullivan's car shockingly began to sputter and Rahal blew by to take the lead on the backstretch. Sullivan pitted for fuel, and wound up third. Rahal now held a seven-second lead over Roberto Guerrero, but it quickly evaporated when Rahal became mired in traffic. Guerrero was right on the back bumper of Rahal with six laps to go at the start/finish line. But as the leaders exited turn one, Josele Garza

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