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The next race will be held at the Mid-Ohio track from July 4 to July 6, and the IndyCar insiders have picked their favorites to win.
Only two drivers have won the nine races held so far in the season, with Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood sharing the wins. However, the experts believe that the Palou-Kirkwood streak will end at the Mid-Ohio race, which is known for not repeating winners.
Here are the top four drivers that the insiders have backed on the IndyCar website.
#1 Pato O'Ward
IndyCar staff writer Curt Cavin picked the Arrow McLaren driver for the win. Pato O'Ward has had a decent season so far, as he clinched pole position during the second race at Thermal Club Grand Prix held on March 23. He also has the most second-place finishes this season.
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According to Cavin, Pato O'Ward is his favourite to win at the track because the Mexican won there last year. He started the race in second place and led 24 of the 90-lap race.
#2 Louis Foster
IndyCar staff writer Eric Smith backs the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver. Louis Foster gained fame this season after clinching his maiden pole position at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America.
According to Smith, Foster could have a shot at victory due to his success on the track in the junior categories. Foster took his maiden win in Indy NXT, IndyCar's developmental series, in 2023. Smith also believes that Foster could win the race as he has shown a strong pace on the natural road course.
#3 Scott McLaughlin
The Team Penske driver was picked as the favorite to win the race by IndyCar media relations and coordinator Arni Sribhen. Scott McLaughlin has had a decent season so far, but is yet to get a win.
The Kiwi is the favorite to win this race because of his previous success at the track. He won the race in 2022 from second place. This also marked his second career win. He won the race by 0.5512 seconds over Alex Palou in second place.
#4 Will Power
Another Team Penske driver, Will Power, is backed by a senior communications manager and an IndyCar staff writer, Paul Kelly. According to Kelly, Power is fighting to win at the Mid-Ohio track, as he has had a successful history there. He previously won at the track in 2020 and finished in third place for two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023. If Power wins the race, it might play a major factor in his contract extension negotiations.
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