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The Infiniti / Indy Pro Series made its debut in mid-2002 with an inaugural season of seven races run in
conjunction with the Indy Car Racing Series. In 2008 the championship was renamed the Firestone
Indy Lights Series when Firestone tires became the primary sponsor.
The thirteen-race schedule kicked off at Saint Petersburg and concluded in early October at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Drivers compete in the Dallara IPS, designed and manufactured for the Infiniti Pro Series. The open-wheel, single-seat racer is equipped with a ground-effect underbody and outboard wings front and rear. The monocoque chassis is constructed using carbon fiber and composites. The Dallara has a minimum weight of 1,430 pounds, which includes all lubricants and coolants used during the event, but does not include fuel or the driver. Firestone Firehawk racing tires are mounted on 15-inch diameter x 10 front and 15-inch diameter x 14 rear wheels. The car is powered by a 3.5-liter Infiniti Q45 engine which produces approximately 450 horsepower and is fitted to a Ricardo six-forward gear transmission with a sequential shifter. Infiniti Pro Series costs are tightly controlled by the Indy Racing League, with the Dallara IPS costing $137,900 (including the data acquisition system). Round nine of the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Series was conducted at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Drivers would compete in a forty-lap contest around the thirteen-turn 2.258-mile road course in an event called the Mid-Ohio 100.
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After two seasons, Martin Plowman won his first Firestone Indy Lights race in a convincing manner at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Prior to this event, Plowman’s best result was at Iowa Speedway this year when he finished second. He put the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers / KEP Printing Dallara IPS at Mid-Ohio on the pole. During the race, Plowman was chased by James Hinchcliffe, but his position was never at risk. |
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Rookie Dan Clarke’s season appeared to turn around after his first-lap retirement at Watkins Glen. In the next round a Toronto’s Exhibition Place, he finished in the runner-up position. He was third fastest in the qualifying session at Mid-Ohio in the No. 40 Wasteco Dallara IPS. Clarke could not maintain the pace of Plowman and Hinchcliffe, but when Hinchcliffe went off course, he inherited a second-place finish. |
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Charlie Kimball was trying to get his title hopes back on course after back-to-back incidents at Watkins Glen and Iowa Speedway. In the events preceding Mid-Ohio, Kimball collected a pair of fourth-place results. He was gridded sixth in the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen Dallara IPS for round nine. By lap-3, Kimball was in fourth. He moved into third and captured the final position on the podium when Hinchcliffe made an error. |
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Title contender James Hinchcliffe was closing the points gap on the championship leader, J.K. Vernay, after earning his second series victory at Edmonton City Centre Airport. At Mid-Ohio, Vernay was off the pace and started seventh. Hinchcliffe qualified on the outside of the front row and chased the eventual winner, Martin Plowman until he went into the gravel at turn four. He continued but only finished one place ahead of Vernay. |
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The championship leader, J.K. Vernay, entered round nine with an impressive record – seven podium results in eight starts, of which four were victories. However, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the driver of the No. 7 Lucas Oil / CJ Dallara IPS was off the pace and qualified in an uncharacteristic position of seventh. In the race, Vernay did not fare any better and finished eighth; however, he retained the points lead. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Martin Plowman | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 2 | 3 | Dan Clarke | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 3 | 6 | Charlie Kimball | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 4 | 5 | Stefan Wilson | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 5 | 4 | Sebastian Saavedra | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 6 | 8 | Adrian Campos, Jr. | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 7 | 2 | James Hinchcliffe | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 8 | 7 | J.K. Vernay | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 9 | 9 | James Winslow | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 10 | 10 | Philip Major | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 11 | 12 | Juan Pablo Garcia | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 40 | - |
| 12 | 14 | Rodrigo Barbosa | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 39 | - |
| 13 | 15 | Giancarlo Vilarinho | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 39 | - |
| 14 | 13 | David Martinez | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 38 | Accident |
| 15 | 11 | Gustavo Yacaman | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 34 | - |
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