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Aleshin plays down double pitlane disaster

Mikhail Aleshin believes he could have won today’s IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio had it not been for the pitlane clash that saw him sent out into the tail of Josef Newgarden’s car.

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

IndyCar Series

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, pit action
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

Smart strategy had sent the #7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsport-Honda to the front of the field following a Lap 16 full-course yellow caused by Scott Dixon’s crash. Aleshin, running eighth in the early stages of the race, had stopped just two laps earlier, so when the rest of the field pitted – and another alternate strategy run by three other cars failed to play out and they had to pit – Aleshin was left in the lead from lap 26 until 41.

He relinquished this on his next stop, but when the Penske-Chevrolets of Simon Pagenaud and Will Power made their stops, Aleshin was once more back in front and pulled away to a lead of over 10 seconds.

However, when another yellow flew for Jack Hawksworth’s crash, everyone pitted together, and Aleshin was held up slightly as he got a front-wing adjustment as well as fuel and tires. He was waved out just as Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden turned into the next pitbox.

That unsafe release incurred a penalty that sent him to the back of the field, and he was given a drive through penalty for making contact with one of Montoya’s crew. He finished 17th.

 "The car was amazing," said Aleshin. "The team did a fantastic job to bring the No. 7 SMP Racing car up to speed. No one was really faster than we were. I felt quite competitive up there in the front and I wasn't pushing like crazy because I was also saving fuel.

“Everything was going proper, perfect, and I was saving fuel but at the same time, I was the fastest car on the track so obviously the car was pretty good.

“I think the incident was unfortunate. I don't want to discuss it though. I want to just say that sometimes these things happen in the race and we're ready to win but we just got a little bit unlucky today."

 

Hinchcliffe brings consolation to SPM

Aleshin’s teammate James Hinchcliffe had the opposite kind of race, starting slowly but finishing fifth. He dropped to 13th in the opening laps, and then collected a pitlane speeding violation which sent him to the back.

Thereafter Hinchcliffe made his way forward culminating in him passing Spencer Pigot for 10th, using the grass on the inside through Turn 3. Passing the slowing Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan in the final dozen laps, and then benefitting from the Sebastien Bourdais/Takuma Sato clash three laps from home, Hinchcliffe moved up to fifth.

"It was a solid result for the Arrow Electronics car," said Hinchcliffe. "We had a really roller-coaster day, starting mid-field and ending up at the back after about mid-distance and then working our way back up to a top five.

“I have to give the guys a lot of credit. We had a bit of an evil balance in the first part of the race but every stop we worked on it and every stop we made it better.

"We got back on the red tires in the third stint and it really started to come to us. We picked off some guys in pit cycles and then picked off some guys on track in the last stint.

“We didn't catch either of the lucky yellows, we had to earn it, but after falling to the back of the line for speeding on pitlane – which was 100 percent my fault – we raced our way back up to a top five.”

 

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