Power, Herta winners at Mid-Ohio

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic altering the IndyCar season schedule, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was able to play host to a pair of races over the weekend.

The Morrow County road course held 75-lap IndyCar races on both Saturday and Sunday, with Will Power and Colton Herta claiming victories.

In Power’s Saturday win, things progressed smoothly for the Australian driver, as he took pole position and led 66 of the 75 laps on his way to claiming the checkered flag. Josef Newgarden was second and Alexander Rossi finished third to round out that day’s podium.

Sunday’s race was a bit more eventful. While Herta turned winning pole position into a race victory and led 57 laps, this event did have a couple yellow flags. On the very first lap, second-place starter Santino Ferrucci was involved in a wreck that eliminated drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Palou from contention. Dalton Kellett also was involved in an incident that caused a brief yellow period.

Rossi made his second podium of the weekend by finishing second, while Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in third.

While “Mr. Mid Ohio” Scott Dixon had an unexpected lack of impact on the two races, finishing 10th on both Saturday and Sunday, he still holds a large lead in the points race. He currently has 456 points, while Newgarden has 384 and third-place Pato O’Ward has 338. Herta and Power now are fourth and fifth, respectively.

There were also seven support races over the weekend spread out over three different series.

In the first IndyPro 2000 race, Manuel Sulaiman was in first place after 25 laps were complete, while Danial Frost was second and Hunter McElrea took third. The second race was won by series leader Sting Ray Robb. Parker Thompson finished second and Jacob Abel ran third.

There were three USF2000 races held — two on Saturday and one on Sunday. In the first Saturday race, Michael d’Orlando took first place, while Reece Gold was second and Nolan Siegel ran third.

Gold won the second race, with Eduardo Barrichello was second and Cameron Shields placed third. On Sunday, series leader Christian Rasmussen claimed the checkered flag, while d’Orlando finished second and Gold ran third to reach the podium in all three races and finish the weekend only 14 points behind Rasmussen.

Also competing was the Mazda MX-5 Cup for a pair of races on Saturday.

In their first race, Gresham Wagner ran first, while Michael Carter was second and Robert Noaker took third. Those same three drivers took the podium in the second place, just in a different order, as Carter was first, Noaker second and Wagner third. Noaker currently leads the season points race by 14 points over Carter.

Will Power won Saturday’s IndyCar series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2020/09/web1_power.jpgWill Power won Saturday’s IndyCar series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Rob Hamilton | Morrow County Sentinel

On Sunday, Colton Herta went from pole position to claiming the checkered flag during that day’s IndyCar series race.
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2020/09/web1_herta.jpgOn Sunday, Colton Herta went from pole position to claiming the checkered flag during that day’s IndyCar series race. Rob Hamilton | Morrow County Sentinel

By Rob Hamilton

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Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS

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