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Power Leads Mid-Ohio Practice

Will Power on practice day at Mid-Ohio. [Andy Clary Photo]

Will Power on practice day at Mid-Ohio.  [Andy Clary Photo]

 

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Friday, July 29, 2016) – Like a hound on the hunt, Will Power continues aggressively chasing down the prey in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The Team Penske driver paced the field in practice today for The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, running what would be a record pace in the process.

Power’s best lap around the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course of 1 minute, 4.1962 seconds (126.624 mph), in the second of two 75-minute practice sessions, was nearly four-tenths of a second better than the track record established a year ago by Scott Dixon in Verizon P1 Award qualifying. Power, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, was among four drivers who turned laps on the 2.258-mile permanent road course under Dixon’s standard.

“Obviously the cars are just getting faster and faster,” Power said. “It’s not like the track is getting faster. It’s just amazing how much speed we have in like Turn 11 and Turn 1 now.

“It’s definitely going to be a lap record broken. … Yeah, that’ll be broken for sure if it’s dry.”

Power missed the 2016 season opener with an inner-ear infection, but has won three of the last four completed Verizon IndyCar Series races to move into second in the championship. The 28-time Indy car race winner and 2014 series champion sits 47 points behind teammate Simon Pagenaud – the other three-race winner this season.

“It’s very obvious to us what we have to do, and that’s finish ahead of Pagenaud in particular because he’s got such a chunk of points ahead of us,” Power said. “It’s a no-brainer for us. … Not that you take any stupid risks, but we understand that week in, week out, you’ve got your aim, you’ve got your goal.”

Dixon, the five-time Mid-Ohio race winner in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevy, led morning practice with a lap of 1:04.4491 (126.127 mph) that held up for second fastest on the day. Tony Kanaan (No. 10 NTT Data Chevrolet, 1:04.4663, 126.094 mph) and Pagenaud (1:04.5353, 125.959 mph) also eclipsed Dixon’s track record in the afternoon practice before heavy rains moved in with 25 minutes remaining.

RC Enerson, making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut after driving the first half of the season in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, grabbed everyone’s attention by running seventh quick in the afternoon session (1:04.7284, 125.583 mph). The Dale Coyne Racing driver was excited to be behind the wheel of the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda.

“It was incredible,” said the 19-year-old who won an Indy Lights race at Mid-Ohio last year. “It’s completely different from anything I have driven. Every time I come here, I tend to do all right and it’s one of my favorite tracks. It’s just got this thing about it that suits my driving style really well and I’m just excited to be here.”

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is Round 13 of the 16-race Verizon IndyCar Series season, though the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway was suspended by rain after 71 laps on June 12 and will be completed Aug. 27.

A third Mid-Ohio practice session is scheduled from 9:45-10:30 a.m. ET Saturday, ahead of three rounds of knockout qualifying to determine the pole winner at 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network). Coverage of Sunday’s 90-lap race begins at 2 p.m. ET on CNBC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, with a same-day re-air at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

 

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