FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS RETURNS TO MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
Date / Time Noon (ET) Sunday, Aug. 4
Track Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (13-turn, 2.258-mile road course)
Distance 40 laps/90.32 miles
TV NBC Sports Network (Tape) 2 p.m., Aug. 4
Radio IMS Radio Network Sirius 211/XM 211 indycar.com (Live)
Plowman won last race in 2010
Title battle hits Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for first time since 2010
Firestone Indy Lights returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time since 2010 with the Mid-Ohio 100. Colombian Carlos Munoz took back the points lead with a dominating win at Pocono Raceway and built on his lead with another top-five finish at Toronto. Munoz leads rising American standout Sage Karam by eight points heading into the ninth of 12 races.
Munoz chasing Firestone Indy Lights title
Andretti Autosport's Carlos Munoz, who won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award after finishing second, has been equally impressive in his second season in Firestone Indy Lights. The Colombian has won five poles and three races in eight starts. Can he continue his strong start and record another strong finish in his first visit to Mid-Ohio?
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates aim for another sweep
Sage Karam may be the top Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver in the point standings, but he isn't the only rising star racing at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Teammates Gabby Chaves and Jack Hawksworth have been regular visitors to the podium, with Hawksworth winning at St. Petersburg and Toronto. The three drivers swept the podium at Iowa. Will they accomplish the feat again at Mid-Ohio?
Veach searches for first win in home race
Ohio native Zach Veach comes to Mid-Ohio in search of his first Firestone Indy Lights win. The teenager from Stockdale, Ohio, led his first laps in the series at Milwaukee moving up the Mazda Road to Indy under the tutelage of Michael Andretti.
Irish driver hopes to stand on top step of the podium
Coming off another second-place finish at Toronto, Firestone Freedom 100 winner Peter Dempsey hopes the luck of the Irish remains. Dempsey, a native of Ashbourne, Ireland, seeks to score his first road course win at Mid-Ohio.
Mazda Road to Indy scholarship winners excelling in 2013
Three drivers who moved up the racing ladder as part of the Mazda Road to Indy are off to strong starts in 2013. 2012 Star Mazda Championship winner Jack Hawksworth is fourth in the Firestone Indy Lights standings and has won two races, including series debut, while 2012 USF2000 National Championship Matthew Brabham leads the Pro Mazda Championship for Andretti Autosport with seven wins. Both will be trying to emulate 2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion Tristan Vautier, who has been impressive as an IZOD IndyCar Series rookie with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. All three drivers - along with USF2000 scholarship winner Peter Portante - will be racing this weekend at Mid-Ohio.
Race Notes:
This is the sixth Firestone Indy Lights race at Mid-Ohio under INDYCAR sanction. The original CART-sanctioned Firestone Indy Lights held 11 races at the track from 1986-2001. Steve Millen won the first race in 1986.
Townsend Bell and James Davison are the only driver to win multiple races at Mid-Ohio. Bell won at the track in 2000 and 2001. Davison won back-to-back races in 2008 and 2009.
Carlos Munoz, Peter Dempsey, Sage Karam and Jack Hawksworth are the only drivers entered in the Mid-Ohio 100 who have previously won a race in Firestone Indy Lights.
Axcil Jefferies of Zimbabwe and Giancarlo Serenelli of Venezuela are expected to make their series debut. Jefferies will be the first Zimbabwean driver to compete in Firestone Indy Lights.
Season To Date:
Jack Hawksworth won for the second time in 2013 as he led every lap to win the Toronto 100 from pole position.
Carlos Munoz won for the third time in 2013 as he led all 40 laps in a dominating win at Pocono Raceway from pole position. It was his fifth career victory. Munoz has won five of his six career Sunoco Pole Awards this season.
Sage Karam won back-to-back races at Iowa Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile. Karam's win at Milwaukee from pole was his first win in Firestone Indy Lights.
Peter Dempsey won the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a dramatic four-wide pass on the final lap. Dempsey's margin of victory was .0026 of a second, the closest finish on the famed IMS oval.
Sage Karam won his first pole position in Firestone Indy Lights at Indianapolis.
Carlos Munoz won back-to-back races at Barber Motorsports Park and the Streets of Long Beach. They were his third and fourth career Firestone Indy Lights wins, respectively.
Jack Hawksworth won his Firestone Indy Lights debut at St. Petersburg. He became the 11th driver to win his first Firestone Indy Lights start.
Milestones:
Jack Hawksworth claimed his first career win at St. Petersburg. It was Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' seventh win at St. Petersburg.
Gabby Chaves, Jack Hawksworth, Sage Karam, Ethan Ringel and Zach Veach made their series debut at St. Petersburg.
Matthew Di Leo made his series debut at Long Beach.
Peter Dempsey won his first Firestone Indy Lights race at Indianapolis. It was Belardi Auto Racing's first win in Firestone Indy Lights.
Kyle O'Gara and Jimmy Simpson made their series debut at Indianapolis.
Sage Karam won his first Firestone Indy Lights race at Milwaukee. He is the first Mazda Road to Indy driver to win races in the USF2000 Championship, Pro Mazda Championship and Firestone Indy Lights.
At-Track Schedule (all times local and subject to change):
Friday, Aug. 2 2:15 - 3:15 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice
Saturday, Aug. 3 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice 1 - 1:45 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights Sunoco Pole Qualifying (all cars)
Sunday, Aug. 4 11:48 a.m. - Mid-Ohio 100 pre-race Noon - Mid-Ohio 100 (40 laps/90.32 miles), NBC Sports Network (Taped) 2 p.m. (ET), Aug.4
