41st edition of this Mid-Ohio tradition features the debut of NTT INDYCAR SERIES hybrid technology
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 3, 2024) - A spectacular Fourth of July weekend, featuring a fireworks display, camping activities and nine total races, begins Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid, July 5-7.
As the stars and cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES take to the legendary 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course this weekend, the series will make history. The 41st edition of the Mid-Ohio summer tradition will mark the competition debut of INDYCAR’s hybrid power unit. The new powerplant unit will feature additional overtake options with the capability to generate an extra 120 horsepower, helping the series’ cars surpass 800 horsepower for the first time in two decades.
“I’m super excited. I think everybody is,” said 2023 Mid-Ohio race winner Alex Palou. “We’ve been waiting for the hybrid to kick in for a long, long time. It’s going to make some changes, but it’s not going to be drastic, and it’s going to be for better racing. We always welcome better racing and more tools for the drivers and teams to try and have more overtakes.”
Palou, pilot of the No. 10 DHL Honda, is not only the defending winner at Mid-Ohio, but also the reigning champion of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) driver will be a contender to win again at Mid-Ohio. He heads to Lexington, Ohio as the current points leader in the standings having won twice in 2024 already including the most recent race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The last driver to win in consecutive years at Mid-Ohio is Palou’s CGR teammate Scott Dixon in 2011 and 2012.
The field will also feature two entries from the local team - Pataskala, Ohio-based Meyer Shank Racing (MSR). In his sixth INDYCAR season and first with MSR, Felix Rosenqvist returns to Mid-Ohio. The veteran Swedish driver was part of the closest finish in Honda Indy 200 history in 2019 when he lost to Dixon by just 0.0934 seconds. Another newcomer to MSR, David Malukas will make just his second start for the team this weekend.
“Lots of good memories at Mid-Ohio, and it’s the team’s home race which makes it even more exciting,” said Rosenqvist. “I think it’s going to be one of those weekends where there are a lot of new things. I think we’ll just have to keep it clean and really capitalize on the fact that everyone is going to have to learn a lot.”
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take the green flag on Sunday, July 7, at 1:53 p.m. ET to cap off a jam-packed schedule. Fans will also see action from INDY NXT by Firestone, and multiple races from all three legs of the USF Pro Championship Presented by Continental Tire - USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors.
The event will also continue the tradition of serving as a full Fourth of July celebration for attendees all weekend long. Festivities begin on Thursday evening when tent and motorhome campers are invited to decorate their golf carts in red, white and blue before partaking in a Fourth of July parade lap around the newly paved Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
On Saturday, July 6, campers are also encouraged to decorate their sites in patriotic colors as part of the Camping with Honda tradition. Honda-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers from Andretti Global, Dale Coyne Racing, Meyer Shank Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will begin to tour the campsites starting around 5:30 p.m. ET to meet fans and check out the campsite decor. After sunset, the fun continues as weekend or Saturday ticketed fans and campers can enjoy a spectacular fireworks display after sunset.
Special guests will take part in honorary roles for pre-race festivities as the celebration continues leading up to the 80-lap NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Sunday, July 7. Cleveland Browns offensive lineman and former Ohio State Buckeye Dawand Jones will serve as grand marshal, giving the command for drivers to start their engines. Additionally, Kensuke Oe, president and director of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, will serve as the podium trophy presenter, and Larry Geise, executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, will be this year’s honorary starter, waving the green flag to start the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.
Weekend tickets offer the best value when attending an event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid, Weekend Grandstand seats are sold out, but Weekend General Admission tickets are still available for $85. Daily tickets and Pit and Paddock Passes are also available. Tickets are $10 additional when purchased at the gate. All the ticket options and pricing are posted online at midohio.com. Follow the event on social media with #Honda200.
About Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:
A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 380 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary race track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally-sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.
For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on X (formerly Twitter) @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.
