In a race marked by heavy traffic, the total absence of yellow flags and no rain over the 85 laps despite heavy rainfall in the morning, Helio Castroneves finished in 16th place at Mid-Ohio IndyCar race, after starting 23rd (penalized with the 10 grid positions for engine change). It was indeed a journey of hardship this 12th race of the championship, but the driver of the Team Penske remains firmly in contention for the title of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“Really, it was not the day we had planned. I knew it would be difficult to start from the back, but it was the price to pay to trade my Chevy for a more updated version. The race was very intense, with lots of traffic and, to complete, I needed to go slower in the end not to run out of fuel, “he explained. “But racing is like that and let’s go forward to Sonoma, because the championship is still open and I’m in this battle for the title,” reaffirmed the 3-Time INDY 500 Champion.

He is now the 3rd in the standings with 26 points behind the leader Will Power and 21 to Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2nd in scoring. Remembering that there are still 159 points in play and the 13th and penultimate race will take place on August 26 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.