Mid-Ohio: Rounds 11, 12 preview

FAST FACTS
Mid-Ohio 100 Doubleheader

Date / Time

Race #1
5:25 p.m. (EDT)
Saturday, July 19

Race #2
10:35 a.m. (EDT)
Sunday, July 20

Track
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
(13-turn, 2.258-mile road course)

Distance
40 laps/90.3 miles
(Both races)

TV
ESPN2 (Taped)
2 p.m. (EDT) July 24

Radio
IMS Radio Network

2007 Winner
Richard Antinucci

2007 Polesitter
Alex Lloyd

Mid-Ohio 100 Doubleheader Race Notes:

Familiar names race in Mid-Ohio

The Mid-Ohio 100 entry list features several drivers hoping to emulate their family's success in open-wheel racing

* Richard Antinucci, the nephew of 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever Jr., drives the No. 7 Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car. The defending race winner at Mid-Ohio will attempt to maintain the his series points lead at Mid-Ohio.

* Sean Guthrie, driver of the No. 4 Carcrafters Guthrie Racing car, is the son of three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Jim Guthrie. Guthrie will make his second start at Mid-Ohio this weekend in search of his first win.

* Arie Luyendyk Jr., driver of the No. 26 Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing car, also seeks his first win at Mid-Ohio. The second-generation driver, who makes his first start at Mid-Ohio, is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk.

On the road again

The Firestone Indy Lights returns to the twists and turns of a permanent road course this weekend. Many of the drivers in the series come from road racing backgrounds so the doubleheader weekend is a welcome sight.

Home-track advantage

RLR/Andersen Racing calls Florida home, but it spends its summer at the Rahal Letterman Racing shop in nearby Hilliard, Ohio. The team fields a pair of cars for driver J.R. Hildebrand and Andrew Prendeville, both who have won at Mid-Ohio on the road to the Firesont Indy Lights.

Season To Date:

* Six drivers have won races this year - Dillon Battistini, Raphael Matos, Richard Antinucci, J.R. Hildebrand, Bobby Wilson and Ana Beatriz.Battistini has the most wins with three (Homestead, Indianapolis and Iowa). Matos and Antinucci split the doubleheaders at St. Petersburg and Watkins Glen.

* A record-tying six drivers have won the SWE Pole Award this season - Raphael Matos, Dillon Battistini, Pablo Donoso, Arie Luyendyk Jr.., Franck Perera and James Davison. Matos is the only driver to win more than one pole (Homestead and St. Pete).

* Richard Antinucci has finished first or second in six of the 10 races this season. He won St. Petersburg 2 and Watkins Glen 2 and finished second at Homestead, St. Petersburg 1, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen 1.

Milestones:

* Arie Luyendyk Jr. will attempt to make his 57th and 58th Firestone Indy Lights start at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which would extend his series record.

* Bobby Wilson will attempt to make his 39th and 40th consecutive start, which is second on the all-time list. Jaime Camara holds the series record with 42 consecutive starts from 2005-2007.

* Richard Antinucci and Raphael Matos moved into a tie with A.J. Foyt IV for seventh on the Firestone Indy Lights all-time win list with their victories at Watkins Glen.

* Ana Beatriz became the first female driver to win a race in the Firestone Indy Lights and the second female this year to win an Indy Racing League-sanctioned event.

* Sam Schmidt Motorsports won its 25th Firestone Indy Lights event, the most of any team.

Schedule (local time):

July 18 9:40-10:25 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice 2:25-2:55 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice

July 19 11-11:30 a.m. - SWE Pole Qualifying 4:55 p.m. - Mid-Ohio 100 Race 1 pre-race 5:25 p.m. - Mid-Ohio 100 Race 1 (40 laps/90.3 miles)

July 20 8-8:15 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights warm-up 10:10 a.m. - Mid-Ohio 100 Race 2 pre-race 10:35 a.m. - Mid-Ohio 100 Race 2 (40 laps/90.3 miles)

-credit: irl