RACE REPORT: 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 6, 2025

FOSTER 14TH, DEFRANCESCO 20TH AND RAHAL 24TH IN AN EVENTFUL HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I didn’t see anything until Newgarden spun into me. I still don’t know how that actually started for him. It’s just unbelievable, and we should have been fine but when the wing collapsed it held my front wheel left. I couldn’t turn the wheel right at all so that was that. And then it took a while for the safety team to pull me out. I don’t know whether we would have beat them, but it would have been 10 seconds faster than what it was. When you go a lap down here, you’re not going to get it back. Unfortunately, that was the race for us.”

FAST FACTS: He started 20th but was collected by Newgarden when he spun on the opening lap which sent both into the gravel. He went a lap down by the time he was pulled out and received a new front wing in the pits. He ultimately finished 24th. The 2025 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio marked Rahal’s 19th Indy car race at his home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the site of one of his career highlights — his win in 2015 when he led a race high 23 laps en route to victory with a 3.4-second margin over Justin Wilson. His best start is second in 2023 and 2017. He has finished in the top-five, six times in his past 11 races here. In total, he has one win (2015), two podiums (2017), six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in his 19 races here including a pair of fourth place finishes in the doubleheader in 2020… Has SIX INDYCAR SERIES wins (2008 – St. Pete street course; 2015 – Fontana Super Speedway, Mid-Ohio road course; 2016 – Texas Motor Speedway; 2017 Detroit Race 1, Detroit Race 2_ and FIVE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street; 2023 – IMS road/August, Portland road)… He dropped three places in the point standings and is 21st with a total of 139.

DEVLIN DEFRANCESCO, No. 30 EVTEC Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It was chaos at the start, left and right and we got caught up in that, so we came in and changed the wing. We had really good pace today but it’s unfortunate that a lot of cars caught that lucky yellow and cycled forward and we didn’t really and that’s really what nailed us today.”

FAST FACTS: Started 23rd after an engine-related issue in qualifying. The start of the race was chaotic, and he suffered front wing damage. When the caution came out for Newgarden and Rahal, he pitted to get a new one and ultimately finished 20th. The Honda Indy 200 marked his third INDYCAR race at Mid-Ohio. His highest start is 20th in 2022, and highest finish is 14th in 2023 – both with Andretti Steinbrenner Racing. After matching his best series start of fifth at the IMS road course in 2023 and 2025, and frequenting the top of the time sheets in practice on the road course at Road America but having his fastest qualifying lap hindered, he is aiming to show his potential at Mid-Ohio… He is 25th in series standings with 89.

LOUIS FOSTER, No. 45 Droplight Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It’s disappointing and not the result we wanted. We were in a good position for a while. We committed to the two-stop strategy, and it was working for a while and then we kind of got stuck behind some cars which hindered our progress through the field. Some of the drivers, who were on alternate tires, got through the field a bit faster than I did. And then I stalled in the pits and that’s what really killed us in the end there. That’s on me, so a big apology to the team. We managed to get it started pretty quickly luckily. I think we lost about five seconds or so, because of it so it wasn’t the end of the world but definitely made us lose a top 10 maybe. Maybe we should have stuck to the three-stop strategy and just pushed all the way but we need to review it. I think I did a good job saving fuel; that was the first time I did a proper fuel save race so that was good experience for me to get at least. Top rookie in the race by some margin. There are worse days for sure but its disappointing.”

FAST FACTS: Made his third Firestone Fast Six appearance of the season and qualified sixth for the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio. He held sixth place until his first stop. The field was split with some on a two-stop strategy like the eventual winner Dixon, and others on a three-stop strategy. Foster stalled his car on his final stop, which lost him approx. five seconds and limited him finish to 14th place… He gained valuable experience in the previous race as the polesitter at Road America, but five cautions contributed to multiple fuel and tire strategies, and he finished 11th which matched his career best finish from the grand prix at IMS in May. In his two previous INDY NXT races here, he won in 2023 from a second-place start and started/finished second in 2024. He will aim to back up his strong performance from Road America and continue to gain valuable experience in his rookie season this weekend… He is ranked 22nd in the point standings with 118.