FRIDAY, JUNE 30 – SUNDAY, JULY 2, 2023

RACE: Honda Indy 200
TRACK: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
LOCATION: Lexington, Ohio, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.258-mile, 13-turn natural-terrain road course
RACE LENGTH: 80 Laps/180.64 Miles

PRACTICE: Friday – 3:05-4:20 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
Saturday – 9:45-10:45 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
Sunday – 10:30-11 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
QUALIFYING: Saturday – 2:45-4:15 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
RACE: Sunday – 1:30 p.m. ET (USA Network)

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “We certainly have plenty of positives to build on following the Road America race weekend and the Iowa test. Road America was essentially a multi-day test session for us and the team did a great job considering the circumstances. Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar. I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevy on a track I know well and have plenty of experience on.”

OF NOTE: 

• Ryan Hunter-Reay has joined Ed Carpenter Racing as driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. Hunter-Reay, recognized as one of the most successful American open wheel racing drivers, has brought a wealth of experience to the team with an INDYCAR career that spans two decades. He made his debut with ECR two weeks ago at Road America, where he gained 10 positions over the duration of the race.

• The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based driver is an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion (2012) with 18 career wins, including a victory in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Hunter-Reay also has multiple overall IMSA sportscar wins, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans among them, has been invited to the Race of Champions five times and has won two ESPY ‘Driver of the Year’ awards (2013 and 2014). Last month, he competed in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, leading eight laps in the closing stages of the race and ultimately finishing 11th.

• Hunter-Reay will be one of the most experienced drivers in the field this weekend with 17 Indy car starts at Mid-Ohio to date. In 14 of those races, he earned a Top 10 finish. He has been on the podium four times, most recently in 2020. He has started inside the Top 5 on eight occasions, including one pole position. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “I am very excited for Mid-Ohio! I was P4 there last year which gives me a lot of confidence, we need a result like that again. Since I am coming back with even more experience, hopefully we can do even better. I can’t wait to drive there. I think we can do well. Being fast is always fun so I am looking forward to having a lot of fun this weekend!”

OF NOTE: 

• Rinus VeeKay has spent his entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with Ed Carpenter Racing and is the team’s longest-tenured full-time driver, now in his fourth season behind the wheel the No. 21 Chevrolet. The 22-year-old recently made his 50th career start and qualified on the front row of last month’s Indianapolis 500.

• Born in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. Just four years into his time in the United States, he not only reached the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, but earned 2020 Rookie of the Year honors. He became an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner in May of 2021 with a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

• VeeKay has competed at Mid-Ohio four times, achieving his best result to date last year. He easily advanced to the second round of qualifying in 2022, but had to settle for the 11th starting position after heavy traffic impacted his run. After the first round of pit stops, he had moved up to 7th and continued to charge forward. Near the midway point of the race, he passed two cars in one corner and one the next lap to climb to 4th. He held off hard-charging competitors in the final laps to hold onto the position.t