INDYCAR SERIES Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Final
for this game
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Preview
Jul 15, 2008 - 6:52 PMJuly 20, 2008
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Lexington, Ohio
Race 12 of 17 in the 2007 IndyCar Series season
TV: ABC, 1:30 p.m. EDT
Length: 85 laps
Race length: 191.93 miles
Track length: 2.4-mile road course
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Marco Andretti
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 253 (7th)
Finished last at Nashville and dropped two spots in the
standings; was involved in a late-race crash with Ed Carpenter
and finished 21st at Milwaukee; finished third in the 92nd
Indianapolis 500; was involved in an accident in last year's
Indy race and wound up 24th; finished 11th in last year's
IndyCar Series standings; recorded career-best six top-five
finishes, with best result of second at Iowa and Michigan;
opened the season by running second at Homestead; was 25th at
St. Petersburg and 18th at Japan before bouncing back with a
fifth at Kansas; finished last here last season.
Ryan Briscoe
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 243 (8th)
The Australian captured his first career win at Milwaukee, a
week after being in the spotlight for wrecking Danica Patrick on
pit road in the Indianapolis 500; won the pole at Watkins Glen
and led the most laps before being wrecked by Scott Dixon under
caution and wound up 12th; started seventh and finished fifth in
last year's Indianapolis 500 for Luczo Dragon Racing; followed
up first win by running third at Texas; took over at Penske this
season for Sam Hornish Jr., who left the IRL for NASCAR;
finished 21st in 2006 IndyCar standings while driving a limited
schedule with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; made four starts that
season, finishing third at Watkins Glen in debut with team;
also recorded a ninth-place finish at Nashville; finished 19th
in 2005 IndyCar standings for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, with a
best finish of eighth at Nashville; ran 10th at the 2005 Indy
500; did not run this race last year.
Helio Castroneves
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 357 (2nd)
Opened the year by finishing fourth at Homestead and second in
St. Petersburg and Japan; took fourth at Kansas; finished fourth
in the Indy 500, fifth at Milwaukee and second at Texas; sits
second in the standings, 63 points behind Scott Dixon; finished
sixth in the standings last year, 191 points behind champion
Dario Franchitti; captured a series-record seven poles last
season, but managed to win just once - at St. Petersburg;
recorded six top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes last season; in
102 career IRL starts, has 12 wins, 79 top-10s and 24 poles;
became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 two years in
a row (2001-02) since Al Unser won in 1970 and 1971; is only the
fifth driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win in consecutive
appearances; finished third in this race last year.
Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 420 (1st)
Became the first driver from New Zealand to win the Indy 500;
also won at Texas and Nashville; spun under caution at Watkins
Glen and finished 11th; holds a 63-point lead in the standings;
opened the season with with a solid win at Homestead, but had
mechanical issues at St. Petersburg and finished 22nd; bounced
back with thirds in Japan and Kansas; ran second to Briscoe at
Milwaukee; finished as an unlucky runner-up in the 2007 season,
13 points behind Dario Franchitti, after running out of fuel on
the final lap of the final race; failed to win an unprecedented
fourth straight race at Michigan when he was involved in a
spectacular six-car accident that sent Franchitti's car airborne;
had four wins last season and was a runner-up five times; bounced
back from the DNF at Michigan by finishing second to Tony Kanaan
at Kentucky; enjoyed a stretch of three straight wins early in
the season; took the checkered flag at Mid-Ohio; also won at at
Nashville after starting on the pole to became the first repeat
winner there; started his winning streak on July 8 at Watkins
Glen.
Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 339 (4th)
Picked up first win on the season at Richmond; followed with a
third at Watkins Glen and fourth at Nashville; wrecked during
the Indy 500 and finished 29th, then bounced back to run third
at Milwaukee and fifth at Texas; ran eighth at Homestead to open
the season, but rebounded to claim third place at St.
Petersburg, fifth at Japan and second at Kansas; finished 2007
season strong and wound up third in the standings, 61 points
behind Franchitti; had a series-best five wins last year - at
Motegi, Milwaukee, Michigan, Kentucky and Belle Isle; started
second at the Indianapolis 500, but finished a disappointing
12th; finished fourth three times - at Watkins Glen, Richmond
and Mid-Ohio; captured pole at Kansas, yet finished 15th last
season; won the 2004 IndyCar Series championship; finished
second in the 2004 Indy 500 to Buddy Rice; finished fourth in
this race last season.
Danica Patrick
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 266 (5th)
Has become one of the most recognizable female athletes in the
United States - especially after winning her first race at
Japan in her 50th start; became the first woman to win a race in
a major auto racing series; followed by finishing 19th at Kansas
with mechanical problems; started the season by running sixth
at Homestead and 10th at St. Petersburg; finished 22nd in the
Indy 500 after a pit road incident with Ryan Briscoe; posted a
second-place finish at Detroit last year; finished seventh in
the final standings with four top-fives and 11 top-10s; started
second at Sonoma but finished sixth; was involved in an accident
and finished 16th at Kentucky; struggled to a disappointing
seventh-place finish at Michigan; posted her second consecutive
top-five finish with a fifth place showing at Mid-Ohio; took
third at Nashville prior to that.
Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 351 (3rd)
Finished fourth at Texas and Milwaukee after running 12th in the
Indianapolis 500; kicked off the season by running third at
Homestead, 12th at St. Petersburg and fourth in Japan; entered
the Indy 500 having won at Kansas; finished fourth in the final
standings last year with two wins and a pole at Homestead-Miami;
recorded six top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes; won the 2005
championship with a series-record six victories; last year
finished out of the top five for a six-race stretch prior to
Detroit; in 87 career starts has 14 wins, 67 top-10s and five
poles; finished second in the final standings in 2004 and 2006;
won the 89th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 from 16th
starting position; ran eighth in this race last season.
2007 Top 10
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1. Scott Dixon (9)
2. Dario Franchitti (27)
3. Helio Castroneves (3)
4. Tony Kanaan (11)
5. Danica Patrick (7)
6. Darren Manning (14)
7. Ryan Hunter-Reay (17)
8. Buddy Rice (15)
9. Tomas Scheckter (2)
10. Dan Wheldon (10)
Past Winners
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2007 Scott Dixon
