Dixon fastest in first practice

Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Chevrolet lapped the 2.258-mile course in 64.4491sec, an average speed of 126.127sec, beating the Team Penske-Chevys of Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya by 0.12 and 0.15sec respectively.

Power went off course at Turn 2 on his 22^nd lap, but was able to return to the track without hurt. Curiously, he went off almost simultaneously with Dale Coyne Racing-Honda driver Conor Daly swiping off his nosecone down at the Keyhole corner, Turn 4.

Tony Kanaan was 0.19sec shy of teammate Dixon in fourth, with Helio Castroneves’ Penske entry fifth.

James Hinchcliffe was fastest of the Honda driver, putting his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports machine sixth, but his teammate Mikhail Aleshin had two spins on his final flying lap and wound up only 17^th.

Championship leader Simon Pagenaud, who topped the test times here last week, was seventh ahead of Josef Newgarden (Ed Carpenter Racing) and Sebastien Bourdais (KVSH Racing), who dueled for the win here two years ago, before Dixon beat them both.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had looked strong before the track gripped up, but had to be content with 10^th and fastest Andretti Autopsort-Honda entry, a couple of tenths ahead of teammate Marco Andretti, and defending Mid-Ohio winner Graham Rahal.

IndyCar debutant RC Enerson in the #19 Dale Coyne car was 21^st, a respectable six places and less than three-tenths off teammate Daly.

IndyCar 2016 - Mid-Ohio - Free Practice 1
P.	N°	Driver	Team (Engine)	Time/deficit
1	9	Scott Dixon	Ganassi (C)	1:04.4491
2	12	Will Power	Penske (C)	0.1188
3	2	Juan Pablo Montoya	Penske (C)	0.1543
4	10	Tony Kanaan	Ganassi (C)	0.1896
5	3	Helio Castroneves	Penske (C)	0.2726
6	5	James Hinchcliffe	Schmidt (H)	0.3068
7	22	Simon Pagenaud	Penske (C)	0.3221
8	21	Josef Newgarden	Carpenter (C)	0.3767
9	11	Sébastien Bourdais	KVSH (C)	0.4171
10	28	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti (H)	0.4568
11	83	Charlie Kimball	Ganassi (C)	0.4717
12	27	Marco Andretti	Andretti (H)	0.6497
13	15	Graham Rahal	Rahal (H)	0.6794
14	26	Carlos Muñoz	Andretti (H)	0.7261
15	18	Conor Daly	Coyne (H)	0.8219
16	14	Takuma Sato	Foyt (H)	0.8486
17	7	Mikhail Aleshin	Schmidt (H)	0.8608
18	20	Spencer Pigot	Carpenter (C)	0.8643
19	41	Jack Hawksworth	Foyt (H)	1.0582
20	8	Max Chilton	Ganassi (C)	1.1035
21	19	R.C. Enerson	Coyne (H)	1.1042
22	98	Alexander Rossi	Andretti-Herta (H)	1.3012