Beyond the Flag
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IndyCar: Driver Power Rankings After Mid-Ohio

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 09: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, and Alexander Rossi, driver of the #98 Andretti Autosport/Curb Honda, practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 09: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, and Alexander Rossi, driver of the #98 Andretti Autosport/Curb Honda, practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Marco Andretti, driver of the #27 Andretti Autosport Honda, practices for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Marco Andretti, driver of the #27 Andretti Autosport Honda, practices for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

#16 through #13

#16. [Last Race: 20th (+4)] — Mikhail Aleshin was anything but impressive in his return to IndyCar at Mid-Ohio after essentially being benched at Toronto, but he got the job done and brought his car home in one piece in 14th place. He has just one finish higher than 10th place so far this season, but he is still ahead of a number of full-time drivers in the championship despite the fact that he missed a race, so he moves up in these rankings.. No. 7. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda. MIKHAIL ALESHIN

#15. [Last Race: 15th (-)] — Ed Jones has quite simply gone cold as of late, finishing higher than 17th place just once over the course of the past six races. As a whole, his rookie season has been a success, but who knows how much better he’d be doing if he had veteran teammate Sebastien Bourdais racing alongside him giving him guidance. The future looks very bright for Jones.. No. 19. Dale Coyne Racing, Honda. ED JONES

#14. [Last Race: 14th (-)] — You can’t expect much from JR Hildebrand at a track like Mid-Ohio, as he has not finished in the top 10 on a road or street course so far this season. He performed pretty much as expected there, finishing in 17th place. He just isn’t a great road and street course driver, and given the fact that those types of tracks dominate the schedule, he maintains his relatively low position in these rankings.. No. 21. Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet. JR HILDEBRAND

#13. [Last Race: 11th (-2)] — Marco Andretti failed to back up an impressive 4th place effort at Toronto with another good result at Mid-Ohio. He looked very competitive early on, but he fell back and ended up finishing in 12th. Starting strong and falling back has become the norm for him, especially in road and street course races. Will he ever break his six-plus-year win drought?. No. 27. Andretti Autosport, Honda. MARCO ANDRETTI