Lundgaard, Rahal and Fittipaldi Finished Seventh, 18th and 24th in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

RACE NOTES / QUOTES – July 7, 2024

LUNDGAARD, RAHAL AND FITTIPALDI FINISHED SEVENTH, 18TH AND 24TH IN THE HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I think we had decent pace, but it was a disappointing result. Unfortunately, it was just not enough pace with the strategy we were on (three stop). I don’t think there was anything wrong with that strategy though. We stuck to our plan; it just didn’t work today. It didn’t work for anyone really with the way the race played out. The boys did a good job in the pits. I thought the hybrid was fine. It’s makes for a lot more to do, a lot more to think about but, it’s the same for everybody. It worked quite well in the race to utilize it for different stuff. It was a nice feature to have to go along with overtake. But certainly, it adds a lot of thinking.”

FAST FACTS: Qualified 19th and started 18th after a car ahead in the field served a grid penalty. The race started under caution as the series was trying to move the stopped car of Dixon. Once the race went green, Rahal held 17th place. He utilized a three-stop strategy but it didn’t play out as an advantage and he ultimately finished 18th in a race that saw the only caution take place on the first two laps due to Dixon… Set the second fastest time in Practice 2 on Saturday. The 2024 Honda Indy 200 will mark Rahal’s 18th Indy car race at his home track. His best start is second in 2023 and 2017 and his best finish is his win here in 2015. He has finished in the top-five, six times in his past 10 races here. In total, he has one win (2015), two podiums (2017), six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in his 17 races here including a pair of fourth place finishes in the doubleheader in 2020. In 2023, he lost pole by a mere four-hundredths of a second to Herta and matched his best INDYCAR start at home of second place. He led the race two times for two laps total and finished seventh after a slow fuel probe plug in on his first stop and an issue getting his inside rear tire on in his second. In 2022, he qualified 18th and finished 12th after struggling with the handling of the rear of his race car. In 2021, he started eighth and finished sixth. Year-by-year recaps are available upon request. He has also competed in many other series at his “home track.” In addition to Indy car races here, at the age of 16 in 2005, Rahal became the youngest to claim the SCCA National Formula Atlantic championship at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs here by a dominant 43-seconds. He also competed in the Star Mazda race here in 2005 (S/F 4/9) and tested a Grand Am car here in 2007. He is 16th in series point standings with 139.

PIETRO FITTIPALDI, 30 Mi-Jack Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We started in the back of the field after the grid penalty and we were on the same strategy as Graham; I think two positions behind him, which didn’t play out in the race. We had an issue in a pit stop that cost us. We will regroup and get ready for Iowa.”

FAST FACTS: Qualified 23rd but served a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change and started at the back of the field in 27th place. He utilized a three-stop strategy that didn’t play out in the race that saw only one caution (Laps 1-2), and had an issue on his final pit stop that cost some time. He ultimately finished 24th in his second race at Mid-Ohio. In 2018, he competed for Dale Coyne Racing where he started 22nd and finished 23rd… He is 20th in series point standings with 103.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 45 Hy-Vee Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It was a good race here at Mid-Ohio. I think we maximized what we had. I think we were in that fifth to seventh place range all day. It was unfortunate we lost a spot to the No. 7 car in pit lane. He had a clear out and we didn’t. I think they short filled as well. Overall, it was a good weekend for the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda. I wish we could’ve had that fifth spot. We were in the fight with Ericsson and Rossi there at the end. I think we had the upper hand on pace. I think it’s good to have a weekend where it was nice, calm, and easy. No chaos, just pure enjoyment and learning how the hybrid operates so I’m quite satisfied with this weekend. I think we executed well at the end and we did a good job. Onto Iowa for the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend!”

FAST FACTS: Started ninth after qualifying 10th due to Rosenqvist, ahead in order, serving a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. He passed Rossi on track on Lap 4 but later lost a position to him on a pit stop while utilizing a two-stop strategy. He ultimately finished seventh im his third start at Mid-Ohio. In 2023, he narrowly missed out on a podium finish with fourth place after starting fifth and matched his best finish of the season to that point. In 2022, he started 16th and finished 11th…. He is ranked 11th in the point standings with 182.

NEXT UP: The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend is up next weekend. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 will take place under the lights at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 13 and NBC will begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET. The Hy-Vee One Step 250 will take place on Sunday, July 14 and coverage will begin on NBC at 12 noon ET.