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Power runs up front, rookies surprise in Mid-Ohio Practice

The track record at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course appears to again be in jeopardy this weekend – weather permitting – as four drivers dipped below the standard in practice today for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

Scott Dixon set the track record of 1 minute, 4.5814 seconds in 2015 Verizon P1 Award qualifying and was among the quartet that bettered it today. Records may only be set in qualifying or a race, so any official marks will wait until Saturday or Sunday on the 2.258-mile permanent road course.

Will Power, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, was fastest in the afternoon session and for the day with a lap of 1:04.1962 (126.624 mph). Dixon was quick in the morning and second overall at 1:04.4491 (126.127 mph) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Also posting laps below the track record this afternoon were Tony Kanaan (No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, 1:04.4663, 126.094 mph) and current championship leader Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet, 1:04.5353, 125.959).

The story of the second session may have been that of two Indy Lights graduates and Floridians, including one making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut. RC Enerson, in the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Dale Coyne Racing Honda, was seventh fastest in the afternoon (1:04.7284, 125.583 mph) before a heavy shower ended the 75-minute session some 25 minutes early. Enerson drove the first half of the 2016 season in Indy Lights before setting his sights on a Verizon IndyCar Series ride.

Spencer Pigot, the reigning Indy Lights champion in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, was eighth in the afternoon at 1:04.7428 (125.475). Two drivers – Sebastien Bourdais and Juan Pablo Montoya – dared to try the Firestone wet tires in the waning moments of practice, but returned to pit road shortly after.

Defending race winner Graham Rahal (No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) was fourth quick in the afternoon at 1:04.5982 (125.836 mph).

Verizon P1 Award qualifying takes place Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, airing on NBCSN and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network. The knockout qualifying will set the field for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, the 90-lap race that can be found at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on CNBC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, with a re-air on NBCSN at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Results:

Rank

Car

Driver Name

C/A/E/T

Time

Speed

Diff

Gap

Best Lap

Total Laps

1

12

Power, Will

D/C/C/F

01:04.1962

126.624

–.—-

–.—-

17

17

2

10

Kanaan, Tony

D/C/C/F

01:04.4663

126.094

0.2701

0.2701

20

21

3

22

Pagenaud, Simon

D/C/C/F

01:04.5353

125.959

0.3391

0.0690

20

21

4

15

Rahal, Graham

D/H/H/F

01:04.5982

125.836

0.4020

0.0629

25

26

5

21

Newgarden, Josef

D/C/C/F

01:04.6392

125.757

0.4430

0.0410

19

23

6

83

Kimball, Charlie

D/C/C/F

01:04.6429

125.749

0.4467

0.0037

20

22

7

19

Enerson, RC (R)

D/H/H/F

01:04.7284

125.583

0.5322

0.0855

22

27

8

20

Pigot, Spencer (R)

D/C/C/F

01:04.7842

125.475

0.5880

0.0558

17

22

9

5

Hinchcliffe, James

D/H/H/F

01:04.8022

125.440

0.6060

0.0180

9

18

10

9

Dixon, Scott

D/C/C/F

01:04.8337

125.379

0.6375

0.0315

5

17

11

28

Hunter-Reay, Ryan

D/H/H/F

01:04.8599

125.329

0.6637

0.0262

14

17

12

3

Castroneves, Helio

D/C/C/F

01:04.8972

125.257

0.7010

0.0373

16

20

13

98

Rossi, Alexander (R)

D/H/H/F

01:04.9086

125.235

0.7124

0.0114

13

19

14

26

Munoz, Carlos

D/H/H/F

01:04.9366

125.181

0.7404

0.0280

15

17

15

18

Daly, Conor (R)

D/H/H/F

01:04.9579

125.140

0.7617

0.0213

16

21

16

41

Hawksworth, Jack

D/H/H/F

01:04.9843

125.089

0.7881

0.0264

17

18

17

2

Montoya, Juan Pablo

D/C/C/F

01:05.0555

124.952

0.8593

0.0712

14

21

18

8

Chilton, Max (R)

D/C/C/F

01:05.0931

124.880

0.8969

0.0376

17

22

19

11

Bourdais, Sebastien

D/C/C/F

01:05.1165

124.835

0.9203

0.0234

17

23

20

7

Aleshin, Mikhail

D/H/H/F

01:05.2645

124.552

1.0683

0.1480

18

18

21

27

Andretti, Marco

D/H/H/F

01:05.3078

124.469

1.1116

0.0433

18

18

22

14

Sato, Takuma

D/H/H/F

01:05.3873

124.318

1.1911

0.0795

13

19

Indycar.com Press Release