2022 Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio Official Program

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Keep your engine younger for longer

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2022 SOUVENIR PROGRAM

CONTENTS

Welcome Letters 6 7 8

Mid Ohio Sports Car Course NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Performance Development

Event Information 5 36 38

Event Partners Track Map Schedule

Features 10

14 18 22 26

Marcus Ericsson becomes an Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Returns! Sting Ray Robb USF2000 preview Indy Pro 2000 preview

Entry Lists 31

32 32 33 33

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Cooper Tires USF 2000 Indy Pro 2000 presented by Cooper Tires Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama

Extras 34

Spot Ten

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STAFF LISTING

GREEN SAVOREE RACING PROMOTIONS

STAFF Kim Green Chairman & CEO Kevin Savoree President & COO

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE

STAFF Craig Rust President

Dave Schwall, Deven Keady, Nathan Young, Weston Bell, Kris Boatwright, Nathan Long, Spencer Prill Operations & Facility

Ryan Cash, Kathy Nolan, Craig Kersey, Chad Seufert, Matthew Borkan Sales & Client Services Steve Bidlack, Jenna Hood, Jack Carney Marketing & Communications Mike Raven, Tammi Sipes, Gwen Duffy, Anita Karklins, Tiona Howard Ticketing & Box Office

Michael Morrisey Executive Vice President & CFO

Brian Sipes Safety

Jeff Atkinson Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Cindy Loomis Catering Services

Paul Alterio Security

Sonny Gee, Scott McKinley, Max Gee The Mid-Ohio School

Dr. Alice Frazier, M.D. Medical

John Fippin Lead Public Address Announcer

Dave Howard, Sue Leach, Lynda Oxenfeldt Race Control

Rusty Bell, Rich Grunenwald, Tom Michaels Turn Announcer Team

EDITORIAL

SALES + ADMINISTRATION

Anna Rutledge Special Projects Editor

Randi Bentia Audience Development Manager

Adam Gordon Associate Editor

Richard Robles Director, Client Services

George Webster Motorsport Editor

Jason Redmond Motorsport Marketing Manager

DESIGN + PRODUCTION

IMAGE CREDITS

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EXECUTIVE

Tim Rutledge Group Publisher & CEO

Queue Gonzalez Creative Director

Patrick Dinglasan Production / Senior Art Director Edward Shintani Senior Art Director Patrick Beltijar Senior Art Director Julia Neukom Intern

Nathan Savoree Accounting

IndyCar Media, RTI, GSRP

STORY CREDITS

Bruce Martin, Jeremy Shaw, GSRP, IndyCar Media

ADVERTISING

sales@ppmghq.com Phone: (416) 922-7526 Toll Free: 1-800-667-7223 www.ppmghq.com

HONDA INDY 200 at MID-OHIO Presented by the all-new 2023 Civic Type R

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EVENT SPONSORS

HONDA INDY 200 at MID-OHIO Presented by the all-new 2023 Civic Type R

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On behalf of our entire team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, it is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R this Fourth of July weekend! We could not be prouder to again host Ohio’s largest motorsports event and have put together another great weekend of racing for everyone! We hope you enjoy all the support series as well, including: Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires, Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, and of course, fan favorite Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks. All of this headlined by The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R, NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on Sunday afternoon! We’d like to extend a special thank you to American Honda Motor Co., Inc. for its long-standing, continued support of this event as title sponsor and supporter of our racing facility through its Honda brand. Without them, this weekend would not be the success that it is. Our association with Honda is unprecedented, and we are truly thankful for our partnership. Also on hand are thousands of associates from Honda’s Ohio manufacturing, supplier and R&D facilities to celebrate Fourth of July weekend, and of course, cheer on the Honda-powered drivers. We’re glad you’re here with us! Please stick around Saturday evening to enjoy the fireworks display too. I hope that you have a memorable weekend and thank you for supporting Mid-Ohio!

CRAIG E. RUST

President, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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DEAR INDYCAR FANS Welcome to this weekend’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R, a traditional and fan-favorite race on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. INDYCAR is committed to delivering a comprehensive fan experience through outstanding entertainment and competition as our athletes defy all obstacles presented by Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course’s challenging, 2.258-mile road course.

Whether this is your first INDYCAR SERIES race weekend or you have been attending races here for years, we are excited for you to witness the spectacle of the sport here at Mid-Ohio. This weekend has a vibe like few others, so we urge you to take in as much as possible and enjoy it all. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has the most diverse lineup of tracks in motorsports, with superspeedways, short ovals, temporary street circuits and picturesque road couses like the one here in Lexington, Ohio. The collection makes for a true proving ground as elite athletes compete for the most challenging championship in motorsports. The car used this weekend is one of a kind, featuring a sleek look with the most advanced safety components available. Honda and Chevrolet provide the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines, and no tire manufacturer can match Firestone for reliability and competitiveness. You likely will notice INDYCAR’s revolutionary driver-protection aeroscreen that debuted on all cars in 2020. The look of these cars is reminiscent of INDYCAR SERIES favorites of the 1980s and ‘90s, and driver skill is paramount as the low-downforce machines slip and slide on this challenging road course. Trust me when I say you will be able to see how hard the drivers must work to achieve maximum speed. You should find that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES offers some of the most daring and defiant athletes in all of sports, including reigning series champion Alex Palou, young and emerging stars like Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta and Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson. While at this beautiful facility, we invite you to download the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA on your smartphone to get behind-the-scenes driver features, live timing and scoring, in-car cameras and more information to help you follow the action. Also, follow the NTT INDYCAR SERIES online at INDYCAR.com, on Facebook and on Twitter (@INDYCAR) Thank you for your continued support. INDYCAR appreciates your attendance this weekend. We are glad you can experience the speed, action and excitement that defines the series. Enjoy the weekend!

Mark Miles

President and CEO, Penske Entertainment Parent company of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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DEAR HONDA RACE FAN Welcome to another action-packed weekend of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, highlighted by Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, featuring the cars and drivers of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

More than two dozen of the most talented racers from around the world will come to Mid-Ohio this weekend to contest for both the race win and the 2022 INDYCAR championship. Last year, Honda won 10 of 17 races to claim our 10th INDYCAR Manufacturers’ Championship, and fourth in a row, with Alex Palou scoring his career first Drivers’ title. The men and women of Honda Performance Development (HPD) continue to work with our race teams to extend our consecutive INDYCAR Manufacturers’ titles to five in 2022. Honda-powered drivers to watch this weekend include defending series champion Palou; Colton Herta, a three-race winner for Honda and Andretti Autosport in 2021; six-time series champion Scott Dixon; Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean; four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. In addition to the featured 90-lap INDYCAR event, racing’s stars of tomorrow will be learning their craft in a variety of supporting “Road to Indy” races: the USF2000 championship, Indy Pro Series and Indy Lights. Finally, be sure to check out the many activities at the Mid-Ohio Fan Zone, including displays hosted by associates from the many nearby Honda Manufacturing and Development facilities in central Ohio. Since 1994, Honda has been synonymous with success in Indy car racing. For the past 28 years, no other manufacturer has won as many races and championships in North American open-wheel competition. We hope you enjoy the races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, one of the most beautiful road racing facilities in North America, where American Honda has had a relationship that dates to 1994. Have a great weekend!

David Salters

President and Technical Director Honda Performance Development

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The Most Fun to Drive Vehicles in America *

Proudly Made In Ohio

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*2021 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) survey of customers rating the performance of their own automobiles.

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MARCUS ERICSSON BECOMES AN INDIANAPOLIS 500 CHAMPION

Two hours of sleep, a missing voice and a message from the King of Sweden. Those are just the highlights of Marcus Ericsson’s life since becoming an Indianapolis 500 champion. By Zach Horrall • Photos by INDYCAR Photo

ricsson crossed the iconic Yard of Bricks to win the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge just after 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Immediately, the spoils of victory set in. He rose atop Victory Podium, took a long drink of whole milk and celebrated with his No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda team. Then, he did a lap in the Pace Car around the famed 2.5-mile oval to greet the fans and met his team at the Yard of Bricks for the kissing of the bricks. After that, the long hours really began to set in: A live interview on SportsCenter, five local Indianapolis TV station interviews, a 40-minute press conference in the Dex Imaging Media Center at IMS, a Firestone obligation and more motorsports press. After dinner with family and longtime sponsors, Ericsson said by

the time he got back to his motorhome parked in the IMS infield early Monday morning, he couldn’t sleep. His girlfriend Iris woke up at 2 a.m. to Ericsson rewatching the race that just hours earlier changed his life forever. The Swedish racing star finally fell asleep around 3 a.m., but he was awake within two hours partially because he couldn’t sleep, and partially because his day-after obligations were about to begin. “It’s just … it’s amazing,” Ericsson said. “I’m struggling to sort of take it all in and realize that it actually happened. I’m sort of struggling to believe it. “It’s been pretty crazy since the checkered flag. It’s been super hectic. I couldn’t sleep. I went to bed, and I was just too excited to sleep. I’m exhausted, but I can’t relax.” Overnight after his win, Ericsson, from Kumla, Sweden, received a special congratulatory message from Carl XVI Gustaf, better known as the

“It’s been pretty crazy since the checkered flag. It’s been super hectic. I couldn’t sleep. I went to bed, and I was just too excited to sleep. I’m exhausted, but I can’t relax.” King of Sweden. A well-known racing fan and someone who has attended Formula One races with Ericsson before, the King sent a note to Ericsson’s manager offering his praise for winning “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” “It’s amazing,” Ericsson said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet him a few times, and I know he’s a huge racing fan. But still, it’s very special. It’s the King of Sweden, so for me, that means so much to hear from him. I’m so happy and thankful.” Ericsson’s hectic Monday began with an 8:15 a.m. radio interview, followed by a meet and greet with

Jostens – the company that makes the coveted Indy 500 winner’s ring. From there, he had a photoshoot for BorgWarner so that sculptor Will Behrends could begin prepping his likeness for the Borg-Warner Trophy, where Ericsson’s historic accomplishment will live on forever. After that, he moved on to a twohour photoshoot with his race-winning car, the Borg-Warner Trophy, winner’s wreath and the entirety of Chip Ganassi Racing on the Yard of Bricks. Ericsson received a standing ovation when he arrived at the photoshoot, something that doesn’t happen often.

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From there, sponsors, organizations, family, friends and more lined up next to Ericsson to commemorate his historic win. Team owner Chip Ganassi took it to the next level, ensuring that every Chip Ganassi Racing employee, even those from the four other cars he entered in the Indianapolis 500, got a picture with Ericsson to celebrate the organization’s first Indy 500 win in a decade. The photoshoot hadn’t come close to ending yet, and Ericsson requested a cup of tea. After 16 hours of cheering, screaming and “thank you’s,” Ericsson was losing his voice. He had four more hours of interviews to go, as well as the Indy 500 Victory Celebration that night in downtown Indianapolis. Finally, the tea arrived, as did a quick bite for lunch before he moved on to interviews with IndyStar, Associated Press, The Race, NBC Sports, USA Today, a virtual meet and greet with INDYCAR Nation fan club members and more. Through it all, or through what hasn’t blended together, Ericsson said his favorite moment from the 24 hours that come after winning the largest single-day sporting event in the world was one of the Indy 500 traditions unlike any other in sports.

“Kissing the bricks with the whole team, that was super cool,” he said. “It’s a bit strange to kiss the bricks, right? But it was really, really cool.” The fun didn’t stop at the Indy 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott, where Ericsson received the largest Indy 500 winner’s payout in history at $3.1 million. Immediately after the event was over, he boarded a private jet and headed to New York City to continue the victory celebration and landed around 2 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 31. His first stop was a unique and rare opportunity: The Swedish racing star rang the bell to open Nasdaq trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The iconic bell ringing ceremony in Times Square is an exclusive opportunity reserved for only the best people, brands and organizations in the country to allow them to celebrate achievements and milestones before a global audience. The bell ringing ceremony was livestreamed, and Ericsson took part in a Nasdaq studio interview afterward. “I’m honored to have been at the Nasdaq,” Ericsson said. “Winning the Indy 500 is a dream come true, and it means so much more that all our

fans were able to attend ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ The Nasdaq is a hub for innovation and discovery. We view racing and INDYCAR in the same way, so it’s fitting to be here after the Indy 500.” Much like his Monday was spent after winning the Indianapolis 500, Ericsson had many press interviews, including for Fox Sports, Road & Track and a Sirius XM studio visit. In between those interviews, Ericsson, 31, was invited to the Empire State Building to celebrate his historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway win at another iconic location. Ericsson, adorned in his winner’s wreath, took in the breathtaking views of Manhattan from the top of the famous skyscraper and snapped some memorable photos.

“We got to go to the top of the Empire State Building and see its incredible views,” he said. “We were on the top floor – the secret floor – so don’t tell anyone.” The massive opportunities to see incredible and iconic locations, just like the famed 2.5-mile oval he won on just days ago, continued Tuesday night. Ericsson went to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium as a guest of the New York Yankees – one of baseball’s most famous teams. Ericsson threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game and watched as the Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels, 9-1. He also received a commemorative New York Yankees jersey featuring his name and No. 8 – just like his NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. “What an amazing day in New York City,” Ericsson said. “Sunday was the best day of my life, and today definitely makes the top five. I’m loving every second of it.” As he gets back to an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend, Ericsson’s life will slow down ever so slightly as Indy 500 winner’s commitments subside. Eventually, though, he’ll get back in the swing of it with the unveiling of the 2023 Indianapolis 500 ticket, Gate 2 banner, Borg-Warner Trophy and more that he will be featured on as the defending winner of the largest single-day sporting event in the world. After all, once you win the Indianapolis 500, the gifts and commitments just keep on coming.

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HELIO RETURNS! Helio Castroneves is racing at Mid Ohio after a five year hiatus. By Bruce Martin, Speed Sport • Photos by INDYCAR Photo

or the first time in five years, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will be racing an Indy car in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Castroneves is a two-time MidOhio IndyCar winner with victories back in the CART days of 2000 and 2001. In both of those victories for Team Penske, Castroneves won from the second place, passing his teammate, Gil de Ferran, for the victories. He led 55 laps in his 2000 win, and 44 laps the following year, when he also defeated de Ferran. There was a five-year break for Castroneves when Team Penske left CART at the end of the 2001 season to join the Indy Racing League full-time. But with the support of Honda, MidOhio returned to the INDYCAR series schedule in 2007 and has become a staple of the series. Castroneves enjoyed success in his return to Mid-Ohio by winning the pole in both 2007 and 2008, going on to finish third in ’07 and second the following year. However, Castroneves was winless at Mid-Ohio from 2007-17, all with Team Penske. But this year he returns with Honda power in his first full-season with Ohio’s own Meyer-Shank Racing from nearby Pataskala, Ohio. 14

Castroneves drove a partial season for Meyer-Shank in 2021, and delivered a stunning victory in the 105th Indianapolis 500 in 2021 becoming the fourth four-time Indy 500 winner. In this year’s Indianapolis 500, Castroneves finished seventh after starting 27th. “All month [at Indianapolis], we were fighting for at least 2 miles per hour, and I was in the back fighting through the field,” Castroneves explained. “But when the yellows [caution periods] started happening, that is when I started to make my way back through the field. We passed 18 cars with me on the track

and in the pits, so it showed we had a great car at the 500.” Sometimes, a race driver’s best races are the ones where they don’t win. He believes that was the case in this year’s Indy 500. “I believe it was one of the best races for me at Indianapolis, without winning the race,” Castroneves said. “In the end, we finished behind Conor Daly and the track was starting to come to me, which was great. It was great to be back in front of 300,000 fans.” Castroneves also has competed on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course in IMSA Sports Car

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HONDA INDY 200 at MID-OHIO Presented by the all-new 2023 Civic Type R

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Racing from 2018 to 2021 – winning in 2018 – but this is his first INDYCAR race here since 2017. “It’s great to be back with an Ohiobased team [Meyer Shank Racing],” Castroneves said. “After quite a few years, coming back to Mid-Ohio in an Indy car is going to be interesting. I’m glad we raced the last three years in a sports car. We won there, which was phenomenal, and we are looking forward to going back again. We won’t have much time for practice this weekend, but I know my way around, I trust the team and we will have a stellar car.” If Castroneves is able to drive team owners Michael Shank’s and Jim Meyer’s car to victory, it will be his first Mid-Ohio win in 21 years. His interest in Mid-Ohio, however, begam much before he drove to his first victory there in 2000. “I’ll be honest with you, when I was in Brazil in 1994 and 1993, I used to watch Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan and Rick Mears going to Mid-Ohio, the up-and-down elevation,” Castroneves explained. “Once I started driving that track, I couldn’t believe I was there. Winning was amazing. I really like and respect this place; and enjoy being there, too.” Castroneves’s team owner Mike Shank is a native of Ohio and became immersed in racing from races at Mid-Ohio. 16

“It’s great to bring Helio back to Mid-Ohio,” Shank said. “It’s good for business. It’s good for competition and it’s good everything in my life, to be honest. We have not done anything real substantial yet at Mid-Ohio in an Indy car and we are focusing on doing that this year. We look forward to getting there with both Helio and Simon Pagenaud in INDYCAR. I love going back to my home track.” Shank believes the connecting threat between Honda, his team and Mid-Ohio is loyalty, friendliness, and family. “We just happen to be lucky to be 45 minutes away from Marysville [where Honda operated Manufacturing, R&D, and other facilities] and working on our programs,” Shank said. “We do lots of work up there with them and for them on both the Acura [in IMSA sports car racing] and the INDYCAR program. We always love seeing Honda employees come out.”

Because he drives for the popular owner from Ohio, the popular driver from Brazil is starting to feel like a transplanted Buckeye with team. “Mike is an incredible guy,” Castroneves said. A true American story. He did everything he wants to do in racing and now has a successful race team. “Kudos to him, his wife [Mary Beth] and we keep it going. Hopefully, myself and Simon Pagenaud will represent them well in Ohio and bring home a podium or a win.” The unique parts of Mid-Ohio are the “Keyhole” and the “Carousel.” It’s two areas that make the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course a challenge.

“The Carousel is always tricky,” Castroneves explained. “There is a bump on the exit where you have to be ready to go. The Keyhole, people don’t realize, it’s uphill at first, then suddenly goes downhill. It’s a lot of fun.” Castroneves returns as a Honda driver and feels a certain responsibility and obligation to perform in front of the sponsor, its employees and the many Honda fans that come to the race. “We are in their backyard, and we are going to try to do the best we can for a Honda victory,” Castroneves said. “I hope it will be ‘Welcome Home, Helio’ and we will succeed.”

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STING RAY ROBB S

Story by Zach Horrall • Photos by INDYCAR Photo

ting Ray Robb has finished on the podium. He’s won a pole position. There’s only one thing left on his Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires bingo card. A race win. Robb, a second-year Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires driver for Andretti Autosport, has produced a consistent start to the 2022 season, finishing fourth, third, third, third, 11th, third and second in seven races. That string of success has resulted in a 4.5 average finish and has arguably made him championship leader Linus Lundqvist’s biggest challenger. Benjamin Pedersen also has a 4.5 average finish, but Robb’s five podiums outnumber Pedersen’s three. “Overall, I think it’s been a good season so far,” Robb said. “We 18

want to get more than a third. It seems like that’s kind of been life at the moment.” His only down moment of the season in his No. 2 Sekady car for Andretti Autosport came in Race 1 of last weekend’s doubleheader weekend on Detroit’s Raceway at Belle Isle Park, but the box score doesn’t represent his performance. Robb was attempting to pass Pedersen for second on Lap 14 with an outside move in Turn 7. Robb admits he was driving too aggressively, and he hit the tire barrier while trying to complete the pass. He was credited with 11th place, his only finish outside the top five this season. Idaho native Robb thinks had he not made that mistake, he had a real chance to catch Lundqvist and

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“I think that’s the key to a championship, just constant improvement. ”

challenge for the win and close the championship gap. Still, Robb takes solace he has contended for a podium finish in every Indy Lights race. Those performances, he said, make him believe he’s still a championship contender even though the series reaches its halfway point in this Sunday’s Indy Lights Grand Prix at Road America (10:35 a.m. ET, live on Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network). “I feel like we’ve shown that we’re getting better every weekend,” 20

Robb said. “I think that’s the key to a championship, just constant improvement. It seems like we’ve been able to do that in just about every condition. We’ve been right there at every event. “I feel like we’re knocking on the door, and we’re just going to keep going in that direction.” It’s a marked turn of events for Robb in his second Indy Lights season. In his rookie year in 2021 for Juncos Racing, Robb failed even to score one podium, recording a best

finish of fifth at Mid-Ohio-3 during the final race weekend of the season. The lack of progress was tough for Robb to accept. But Robb, who won the Indy Pro 2000 championship in 2020, said he feels the wait has made him a better and championship-caliber driver. “Your first season in Indy Lights is never easy, and I think that Juncos and myself were really excited to get the season going after coming off that championship in 2020,” he said.

“We had big expectations, and we didn’t meet those. “I learned that my identity doesn’t lie in the results that I’m having week in and week out.” Robb said he thinks the lackluster 2021, paired with an impressive 2022, is very representative of his racing career. His results have featured many ups and downs, teaching him how to be patient and wait for results. So, Robb is not stressing about his points deficit to Lundqvist with seven races remaining on the 2022 schedule. In the moment, Robb is having fun and enjoying his passion, and he thinks that will lead to success. “I haven’t had the most straightforward career, and I’m thankful for that because I think those tough seasons that I’ve had in the past have taught me a lot about maturity, patience, managing expectations and pressure,” Robb said. “You learn as a driver in those tough moments. “There’s a lot left in the season. I think we’re all striving to get better, and so it’s just staying focused.”

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USF2000 PREVIEW

Michael d’Orlando is focused on the big prize.

By Jeremy Shaw • Photos by Gavin Baker/Road to Indy

ichael d’Orlando began this year’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship with his sights firmly set on the champion’s scholarship valued at $406,925. The title would ensure graduation onto the next step of the Road to Indy open-wheel development ladder, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, in 2023. 22

This weekend’s Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio triple-header is likely to prove pivotal to his quest. The 20-year-old from Hartsdale, N.Y., has established his credentials over the past few seasons. He finished second in the 2021 title-chase with three wins to his name and an impressive streak of four consecutive pole positions to conclude his campaign. He also won two of the three races last year at Mid-Ohio.

“I was close last year – I was the only one that could have won it at the last race weekend (aside from eventual champion Kiko Porto) and I’m going for gold, shooting for the stars.”

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Pabst Racing’s Myles Rowe has two wins under his belt this season.

“There is a lot of pressure there, but (this is) my third (full) year in USF2000 and obviously I’m going to go for the championship,” said d’Orlando. “I was close last year – I was the only one that could have won it at the last race weekend (aside from eventual champion Kiko Porto) and I’m going for gold, shooting for the stars.” D’Orlando has continued that momentum by claiming two wins and eight top-five finishes from the opening 10 races. He has faced plenty of strong opposition, including from within the Cape Motorsports team, which has an unrivaled history in USF2000 after winning nine straight titles between 2011 and 2019. Rookie teammate Jagger Jones, 19-year-old grandson of 1963 Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones, has been especially impressive after making the switch from karts and then displaying his potential in stock car racing. 24

Billy Frazer has developed into a consistent contender.

DEForce Racing, which guided Brazilian Kiko Porto to the 2021 championship, is mounting a strong title defense with a trio of second-year drivers. Thomas Nepveu, from Canada, Dylan Christie, from Princeton, N.J., and Bijoy Garg, from Atherton, Calif., have all displayed good form. The other perennial front-running team, Pabst Racing, also relies on experience. Myles Rowe, from New York, N.Y., who scored a memorable

maiden win last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park in tricky wet-dry conditions, and Arizona’s Jace Denmark have already tasted the fruits of victory this year and are firmly in the title mix. So, too, is talented young New Zealander Billy Frazer, who is surely on the cusp of his first win after snaring five podium results in the opening 10 races for the Canadian-owned Exclusive Autosport team.

After winning the final race of the 2021 season with Josh Green, who has joined several other frontrunners in making the step up to Indy Pro 2000, Mundelein, Ill.-based Turn 3 Motorsport fields a pair of new Tatuus USF-22s for 2021 Rookie of the Year Spike Kohlbecker, from St. Louis, Mo., and Christian Weir, from Naperville, Ill., who secured his first podium finish – and a pole position – at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

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2022-06-28 PM 4/11/22 12:05 4:00 PM

INDY PRO 2000 PREVIEW Louis Foster has been a revelation during his initial foray to North America

By Jeremy Shaw • Photos by Gavin Baker/Road to Indy

n intense battle is developing in the chase for this year’s Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. At stake is a scholarship valued at almost $615,000 to graduate onto the final step of the Road to Indy ladder, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, in 2023. Six drivers representing five different teams have earned victories during the opening 10 races of the season, and all but one of the eight competing teams have recorded at least one podium finish. Eight races remain, starting with this weekend’s Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio double-header, and the top six protagonists are blanketed by just 43 points.

Rookie Louis Foster currently holds the top spot after scoring three wins for the Exclusive Autosport team. Foster, who hails from Basingstoke, England, but is now based in Los Angeles, Calif., where he also attends Loyola Marymount University, gained extensive open-wheel experience in Europe before resetting his career goals this year toward a future in North America. He used that knowledge to excellent effect, gaining podium finishes in three of his first four races before securing a breakthrough maiden victory on the Indianapolis Grand Prix road course. Foster continued his form by winning on his oval debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, then completed a hat-trick in the first

“Six drivers representing five different teams have earned victories during the opening 10 races of the season” of two races at Road America. He bounced back to earth with a decidedly mediocre performance in the second race, finishing a distant 13th, and will be keen to put that behind him this weekend.

Reece Gold, from Miami, Fla., holds second place in the points table for Juncos Hollinger Racing with two wins. Gold has earned a reputation as an impressive qualifier after securing no fewer than eight Cooper

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Reece Gold leads the field to green at Barber Motorsports Park.

Tires Pole Awards over the course of the past season and a half, placing him sixth on the all-time list, only three behind 2012 series champion Jack Hawksworth.

Fellow teenager Nolan Siegel (DEForce Racing), from Palo Alto, Calif., who has also won twice this year, leads a group of four drivers who are separated by only 11 points. Gold’s

teammate, Enaam Ahmed, has yet to claim a breakthrough victory but the London, England-based Pakistani has finished three times on the podium. Ahmed, the 2017 British Formula 3 Ohio’s Braden Eves won the most recent race at Road America.

Champion, posted another impressive drive in the most recent race at Road America, where he stormed from last on the grid to fourth. Braden Eves (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Josh Green (Turn 3 Motorsport) also are in the thick of the title fight. Eves, from nearby New Albany, Ohio, finally claimed his first win of the season at Road America, emulating the feat of rookie teammate Salvador De Alba, a former stock car exponent in his native Mexico who inherited the top spot at the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit in May after Eves’ car failed post-race technical inspection. Green, who won the opening round on the streets of St. Petersburg, overcame a disappointing sequence of results to secure a pole and two podium finishes in the three most recent races. Jack William Miller, from Carmel, Ind., also has been closing in on his maiden victory after snagging a pair of poles and podiums in his Miller Vinatieri Motorsports entry which has benefitted from a recent technical alliance with Exclusive Autosport.

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NTT INDYCAR SERIES HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO Entry List CAR

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CAR NAME

TEAM

ENGINE

Josef Newgarden

Nashville, Tennessee

PPG Team Penske

Team Penske

Chevrolet

Scott McLaughlin

Christchurch, New Zealand

Odyssey Battery Team Penske

Team Penske

Chevrolet

Dalton Kellett

Stouffville, Canada

K-LINE / A. J. FOYT RACING

AJ Foyt Enterprises

Chevrolet

Pato O'Ward

Monterrey, Mexico

Arrow McLaren SP

Chevrolet

Helio Castroneves

Sao Paulo, Brazil

AutoNation/SiriusXM

Meyer Shank Racing

Honda

Felix Rosenqvist

Värnamo, Sweden

Vuse Arrow McLaren SP

Arrow McLaren SP

Chevrolet

Marcus Ericsson

Kumla, Sweden

Ridgeline Lubricants

Chip Ganassi Racing

Honda

Scott Dixon

Auckland, New Zealand

PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi Racing

Honda

Alex Palou

Barcelona, Spain

NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi Racing

Honda

Tatiana Calderon (R)

Bogota, Colombia

ROKiT / A J FOYT RACING

AJ Foyt Enterprises

Chevrolet

Will Power

Toowoomba, Australia

Verizon Team Penske

Team Penske

Chevrolet

Kyle Kirkwood (R)

Jupiter, Florida

ROKiT / A.J. FOYT RACING

AJ Foyt Enterprises

Chevrolet

Graham Rahal

New Albany, Ohio

Fifth Third Bank

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda

Simona De Silvestro

Thun, Switzerland

Paretta Autosport

Chevrolet

David Malukas (R)

Chicago, Illinois

HMD

Dale Coyne Racing with HMD

Honda

Conor Daly

Noblesville, Indiana

BitNile

Ed Carpenter Racing

Chevrolet

Rinus VeeKay

Hoofddorp, Netherlands

Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile

Ed Carpenter Racing

Chevrolet

Colton Herta

Valencia, California

Gainbridge

Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian

Honda

Alexander Rossi

Nevada City, California

NAPA AUTO PARTS / AutoNation

Andretti Autosport

Honda

Romain Grosjean

Geneva, Switzerland

DHL

Andretti Autosport

Honda

Devlin DeFrancesco (R)

Toronto, Canada

PowerTap

Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport

Honda

Christian Lundgaard (R)

Hedensted, Denmark

Hendrickson

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda

Jack Harvey

Bassingham, England

Hy-Vee

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda

Jimmie Johnson

El Cajon, California

Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi Racing

Honda

Takuma Sato

Tokyo, Japan

Nurtec ODT

Dale Coyne Racing with RWR

Honda

Simon Pagenaud

Montmorillon, France

AutoNation/SiriusXM

Meyer Shank Racing

Honda

Callum Ilott (R)

Cambridge, England

Juncos Hollinger Racing

Chevrolet

All cars use fourth-generation NTT INDYCAR SERIES chassis (Dallara IR12) with universal IR-18 aerodynamic bodywork, Chevrolet or Honda engines and Firestone tires. (R) - Denotes Rookie of the Year candidate // Correct as of June 21, 2022 and subject to change HONDA INDY 200 at MID-OHIO Presented by the all-new 2023 Civic Type R

HondaIndy200_MO2022_Book.indb 31

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INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES Entry List CAR 2

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CAR NAME

TEAM

Sting Ray Robb

Boise, Idaho

Sekady

Andretti Autosport HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Christian Bogle

Covington, Louisiana

HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Antonio Serravalle

Toronto, Canada

HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

James Roe (R)

Naas, Ireland

TJ Speed Motorsports

Kyffin Simpson (R)

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

TJ Speed Motorsports

Benjamin Pedersen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Global Racing Group with HMD

Global Racing Group with HMD HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Linus Lundqvist

Stockholm, Sweden

HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Hunter McElrea (R)

Los Angeles, California

Andretti Autosport

Christian Rasmussen (R)

Copenhagen, Denmark

Road to Indy / Stellrecht

Andretti Autosport

Jacob Abel (R)

Louisville, Kentucky

Abel Speedwagon

Abel Speedwagon HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing Andretti Autosport

Danial Frost

Singapore

HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Matthew Brabham

Boca Raton, Florida

Andretti Autosport

Ernie Francis Jr. (R)

Davie, Florida

Force Indy 99

Force Indy All cars use Dallara IL-15 chassis, AER engines and Cooper tires.

COOPER TIRES USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP Entry List CAR

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

TEAM