IndyCar Mid-Ohio start times: Starting first has meant finishing first lately in the NTT IndyCar Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Last year, Josef Newgarden qualified first and led 73 of 80 laps in becoming the third consecutive Mid-Ohio pole-sitter to win the race. Colton Herta and Will Power both won from the pole at Mid-Ohio in the 2020 race weekend doubleheader, and Alexander Rossi also won after starting first in 2018 on the road course in Lexington, Ohio.
Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Scott Dixon (’11) also have won from the pole at Mid-Ohio, where qualifying traditionally has been important.
But an unpredictable 2022 has underscored the flip side.
With Pato O’Ward qualifying first Saturday at Mid-Ohio, there have been nine pole winners to start the season, which ties a record set in 1961.
Only Scott McLaughlin has won after starting first (in the season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida). The average finish for 2022 pole sitters is 9.88 through the first eight races.
Ohio native Graham Rahal, who grew up in the Columbus area, will celebrate a milestone Sunday at his home track by making his 250 career start in IndyCar.
Here are the details and IndyCar start times for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (all times are ET):
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO INDYCAR START TIMES
TV: Sunday, 12:30 pm ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters. Click here for the full NBC Sports schedule for IndyCar in 2022.
Peacock Premium also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying.
COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 12:46pm ET
GREEN FLAG: 12:53pm ET
POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after Sunday’s race ends.
Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for practices and qualifying. The race also will be streamed on Peacock (in addition to the NBC Sports App/NBCSports.com streams and the NBC broadcast).
PRACTICE: Friday, 3:30pm (Peacock Premium); Saturday, 9:30 am (Peacock Premium); 5:20pm (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 9:45 am (Peacock Premium)
PRACTICE RESULTS: Session I l session II l warm up l Combined
QUALIFYING: Saturday, 2:45 pm (Peacock Premium)
STARTING LINEUP: Here’s how the field will line up Sunday with Pato O’Ward on pole
RACE DISTANCE: The race is 80 laps (180.64 miles) on a 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course in Lexington, Ohio.
TIRE ALLOWMENTS: Six sets primary, four sets for use during the race weekend alternate. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
PUSH TO PASS: Two hundred seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. The push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower. Indy Lights: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.
FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 81 degrees with a 13% chance of rain at the green flag.
ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 27 drivers racing Sunday at Mid-Ohio.
INDY LIGHTS RACE: Sunday, 9:40 am, 35 laps/79.03 miles or 55 minutes (Peacock Premium)
INDY LIGHTS ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 13 drivers entered.
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID OHIO WEEKEND SCHEDULE
(All times are Eastern)
Friday, July 1
8 am: Indy Pro 2000 practice
8:45 am: USF2000 practice
9:30 am: Porsche Sprint Challenge practice
10:25 am: Indy Pro 2000 qualifying
11:10 am: USF2000 qualifying
11:55 am: Stadium Super Trucks practice
12:40 p.m.: Porsche Sprint Challenge practice
1:35pm: Indy Pro 2000 qualifying
2:20pm: Indy Lights practice
3:30pm: NTT IndyCar Series practice (Peacock Premium)
5:15pm: USF2000, Race 1
Saturday, July 2nd
8 am: Porsche Sprint Challenge qualifying
8:35 am: Indy Lights practice
9:30 am: NTT IndyCar Series practice (Peacock Premium)
10:45 am: USF2000, Race 2
11:40 am: Indy Pro 2000, Race 1
12:45 p.m.: Porsche Sprint Challenge, Race 1
1:45pm: Indy Lights qualifying
2:45pm: NTT IndyCar Series qualifying (Peacock Premium)
4:15pm: Stadium Super Trucks, Race 1
5 p.m.: USF2000, Race 3
5:55pm: Indy Pro 2000, Race 2
Sunday, July 3
8:30 am: Porsche Sprint Challenge, Race 2
9:45 am: NTT IndyCar Series warmup (Peacock Premium)
10:35 am: Indy Lights race (Peacock Premium)
Noon: NTT IndyCar Series driver introductions
12:53pm: NTT IndyCar Series race, 80 laps/180.64 miles (NBC, Peacock)
3 p.m: Stadium Super Trucks, Race 2