INDYCAR Championship Battle Continues in Mid-Ohio

The second half of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season has arrived, and what better track to kick things off for Chip Ganassi Racing than Mid-Ohio?

CGR boasts 11 victories at the track, the most among all teams in INDYCAR SERIES history. Ganassi came out in full force in the race at Mid-Ohio last season, with Marcus Ericsson finishing 2nd, Alex Palou placing 3rd and Scott Dixon in 4th.

The last Ganassi driver to take the checkered at the Lexington road course would be none other than Scott Dixon in 2019. His six victories at the track are the most by any driver at the track in series history. Dixon seized the win in 2019 with a 0.0934 second margin of victory, the narrowest margin of victory in track history.



Dixon’s victory in 2014 was also remarkable in its own right, as he charged back from the last starting position in P22. Only one other driver in INDYCAR SERIES history has ever won a road or street course race with a starting position of P22-or-worse (Max Papis: P25, Laguna Seca in 2001).



Chip Ganassi Racing is in the thick of the season championship, as Marcus Ericsson leads the field with 293 points (27-point advantage), while Alex Palou sits 5th with 246 points and Scott Dixon in 6th with 224 points.

Marcus Ericsson - No. 8 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda “Going into this one as the points leader in the championship, so we’re feeling strong. It was nice to get a break and re-charge the batteries for this second half. We had a really good weekend at Mid-Ohio weekend last year, qualifying 3rd and finishing 2nd. Needed a lap or two more and we could’ve got the win, but we’ll try again this year. Excited to run the No. 8 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda this weekend. It’s going to look really cool with the all-green and you’ll notice it for sure.”

Scott Dixon - No. 9 PNC Bank Honda “I love the complexity of Mid-Ohio. I think turns four through nine really catches people and then getting through the carousel is a lot of fun. The team has always been strong there. From Dario to Charlie to myself, there’s been a ton of different winners from the Ganassi stables. I remember my first time testing there with the team, I was so surprised at how fast the car was. It’s a circuit for me that is like a bull ring, you can be in constant attack.”

Alex Palou - No. 10 NTT DATA Honda “Can’t wait to get back into the car. We were able to do a team test in Iowa, and it went quite well. Last year, Mid-Ohio was a good track for us, and we finished on the podium. We'll try and improve that position this time around. Excited to see all the fans for the Fourth of July. It’s going to be a great weekend for us.”

Jimmie Johnson - No. 48 Carvana Honda “Really looking forward to Mid-Ohio. I was really impressed with the track itself last year. It’s a really fun lap. It’s always looked interesting on television, but to drive the track in-person with all the rises, flow of the track, blind corners. It was really an amazing surprise. I enjoyed driving it and am looking forward to coming back. It’s going to be a special weekend for us with the co-branded car with The American Legion and Carvana. A lot of great things going on and I’m excited to get in the car and get going.”

Tune-in Sunday, July 3 at 12:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. Download the weekend schedule.