Andretti Autosport vs. HMD

This could be a spicy rivalry brewing. HMD was left fuming mad leaving here last year after driver Linus Lundqvist was penalized late in the race for avoidable contact on Andretti driver Matthew Brabham. Lundqvist crossed the finish line and thought he had won.

Race control took the win away and instead giving it to Andretti Autosport.

Plus, the last time out in Mid-Ohio, it was Andretti driver, Louis Foster, passed HMD driver, Christian Rasmussen late to score the win. It gave Andretti not only their first win of the season, but Foster’s first win of his career too.

Now, do we see more Andretti vs. HMD fireworks?

These two teams combined to have 6 of the top 7 speeds from the test and 6 of the top 7 finishers last year including a clean sweep of the top five.

They have 8 of the top 9 starters now too.

For Andretti, can they go two in-a-row not only here, but on the season?

Andretti went 1-2-3 here last year and are eyeing a victory for Saturday morning’s race. They’ll start 4-5-6.

Hunter McElrea was scored as the winner last year after that penalty for Lundqvist promoting McElrea to victory lane instead.

Can McElrea go back-to-back?

He has four top four finishes in his No. 27 entry in the last five races run. He was fifth in last month’s test on the .894-mile track too. He was third in practice and starts fifth.

Foster was 7th in the test and has three podiums in the last five races. He trails McElrea by three points for third in the standings while McElrea is 39 points out of the lead and 23 points from second. He was fifth in practice and rolls off sixth.

Rasmussen finished second here last year and was quickest in not only the test last month, but in Friday’s practice session too. He rolls off second. Danial Frost was P3 in the test while Christian Bogle was 7th.

---

How Does Rasmussen/Siegel Respond After Mid-Ohio Woes

Christian Rasmussen had a perfect scenario going for him the last time out in Mid-Ohio. Then, it got thrown all away in the closing laps. Rasmussen scored the pole, led much of the race before Louis Foster passed him for the top spot with 9 laps remaining.

Two laps later, points leader Nolan Siegel spun off course in the carousel. In what would have been a 39 point swing, was limited to 24 as Rasmussen had to settle for a third-place finish in his No. 6 entry that day after leading the first 26 laps from pole.

Foster outlasted Rasmussen on the final restart to score his first career win. Kyffin Simpson passed Rasmussen for second on that same restart too.

For Siegel, he came to Mid-Ohio earlier this month with high hopes. Unfortunately, a ho-hum qualifying day led to a race day spin and a season worst 15th place result. Combine that with a testing crash at Iowa last month and being only the 10th quickest time that day and you can see a path to where the 18-year-old could start sliding.

How do both respond this weekend?

Rasmussen had the race won in Mid-Ohio. He was runner-up here last year and quickest in that same test as well as practice here this weekend. Can Siegel as a youngster, keep this out of his head and focus at the task at hand?

Siegel barely has any oval experience as the only time was at IRP and Gateway. He ran three USF2000 races in IRP with finishes of 10th, 11th and 9th respectively followed by a 5th place finish in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 event there. At Gateway, he was 5th and 2nd in Indy Pro 2000 competition too. He was 7th in practice on Friday and qualified 3rd.

So, with 2 of the next 4 races being on ovals, can he do enough to keep Rasmussen at bay? Can Rasmussen get Mid-Ohio out of his mind and capitalize this weekend?

---

Parity

6 of the 7 races this season were won by a different driver. 5 of the top 8 starters on Saturday are winless on the season. Do we see another new driver win on Saturday? I have my eyes on three drivers to do so.

Hunter McElrea won last year and has four top four finishes in his No. 27 entry in the last five races run. He was P5 in the test.

His teammate James Roe starts fourth.

Jacob Abel was sixth here a year ago, second in the test last month and runner-up two races ago in Road America. He was also second in practice on Friday and put it on the pole a few hours later.

Both drivers are the only ones in the top seven in points that have yet to win a race this season and if they’re going to do so, Iowa would be the place they can.