LEXINGTON, Ohio – Graham Rahal could lead a visitor through non-public areas of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which he explored as a carefree youth during weekends that his father was competing.
In many ways, it’s the “home track” for the New Albany, Ohio, native, who also has competed in multiple races on the road course. In 2005, at the age of 16 he became the youngest to claim the SCCA National Formula Atlantic championship at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at the venue. He’s also competed in Star Mazda in 2005 and tested a Grand Am car in 2007 before making his IZOD IndyCar Series debut at the track in 2008 with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.
This weekend at the track, he’s come full circle by competing in the No. 15 Midas/Big O Tires car for the team co-owned by his father.
“Mid-Ohio is always a special event to me. There are so many memories, good and bad, but it’s a place that as a kid I loved spending time with family,” said Rahal, 24. “To now go back as a family will mean a ton to us all.”
Bobby Rahal won twice (1985 and ’86) and made three front-row starts in 16 Indy car races at Mid-Ohio (nine as driver; seven as owner/driver).
“It’s been up and down,” Graham Rahal said of his Mid-Ohio results. “I’ve won a national championship here and I’ve thrown away an IndyCar podium finish in 2009 so I know how demanding it can be. I think we’re at a time in our season that we really need to build momentum for 2014 and it starts right here at Mid-Ohio.”
Team USA Scholarship candidates at track
Eight Team USA Scholarship candidates from a variety of racing series have been invited to attend the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, where they will be interviewed by a panel of judges including former scholarship winners Charlie Kimball, Bryan Herta and Josef Newgarden.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull and INDYCAR president of competition and operations Derrick Walker also are among the panelists.
Two drivers will be selected to compete in two end-of-season events in England – the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone. It has been won three times by Team USA Scholarship representatives in the past five years (Conor Daly in 2008, Connor De Phillippi in 2009 and Tristan Nunez in 2012).
Andretti the honorary chair
Marco Andretti has been named honorary chair of Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s United Way campaign, and the No. 25 RC Cola car will feature the company’s 2013 United Way campaign logo starting with the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.
“Promoting the campaign on my car is a fun way for me to highlight a great organization like United Way and show my support for DPS’s efforts to give back to their local communities,” the Andretti Autosport driver said.
Pro Mazda, USF2000 highlights on NBC Sports Network
Four 60-minute highlight shows – two each for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Copper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – will air on NBC Sports Network in the coming weeks.
The first show at 2 a.m. (ET) Aug. 6 will feature seven rounds of USF2000 competition. The second show at 1 a.m. (ET) Aug. 11 will highlight eight rounds of Pro Mazda races.
The two additional highlight shows will air in October covering the remainder of the season and awards banquet.
The 40-lap Firestone Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be broadcast at 2 p.m. (ET) Aug. 4 on NBC Sports Network.