The NTT IndyCar Series headed to rural Ohio for the middle race on the 2023 calendar, and drivers were given a challenge all afternoon.
Unfortunately for nearly everyone on the grid, Alex Palou continued his domination and took his third consecutive win in his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
It looked like Colton Herta would be the driver to beat when the green flag flew, as he was able to hold onto the lead from pole in the opening laps.
READ MORE: IndyCar Mid-Ohio – Full Race Results
The Californian lost the lead on the first round of pit stops, however, and from that point on there was no catching Palou out front.
The win extends the Spaniards points lead to over 100 points, nearly two full races worth, and he looks ever more likely to take his second championship this season.
Scott Dixon ended the day in second, earning his second podium of the season. The six-time champion has yet to earn a victory this year, and continues to watch his team-mate pull away at the top.
Will Power crossed the line third, climbing up from seventh to join the Honda-powered duo in the podium celebrations.
Rounding out the top five were Christian Lundgaard and Scott McLaughlin, who each had good days on their own.
Graham Rahal finished in seventh, but was hoping to have a better result for his RLL crew. A couple pit stop issues hampered his run, and dropped him down a few places each time.
Regardless, the veteran was still very happy with his rebound performance, which was only his third top ten of the year.
On the opening lap, the two Swedes Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist came together while attempting to navigate turn 6.
Ericsson’s car climbed over the other when their wheels touched, and both were deposited in the grass on the side of the track.
Rosenqvist was able to continue once his engine was restarted, although at the very back of the pack. Ericsson’s car went behind wall for larger repairs, and he was also given a penalty for the incident once he got back on track.
Conor Daly put together an impressive day, after being called in to substitute for an injured Simon Pagenaud. The journeyman moved up from 27th to 20th by the end of the day.
Ben Pedersen drew the ire of multiple of his competitors for not moving out of the way while a lap down. He was doing his best to keep from falling too far behind, but was seen blocking those fighting for position in the top spots too many times for their liking.
The next event for the NTT IndyCar Series is a trip north of the border to the streets of Toronto, a track that has favored veterans in the recent past.
