Ryan Hunter-Reay interview: IndyCar races into Mid-Ohio

Ryan Hunter-Reay is looking for another IndyCar win Sunday in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, and spoke to FanSided about why it’s within his reach.

Ryan Hunter-Reay knows how to win in IndyCar. The former series champion and Indy 500 winner is one of the best, and he’s out to capture his first victory of the 2017 IndyCar season on Sunday at the Honda Indy 200.

As the Andretti Autosport veteran prepares for Mid-Ohio, FanSided spoke to him about what went so right in his podium finish at Iowa, how he can use that this weekend and his season to date.

Hunter-Reay captured third place in the Iowa Corn 300 for what was just his second podium of the year. But his results don’t tell the true story; the No. 28 Andretti Autosport Honda has battled all season long just had some terrible breaks along the way.

So was the Iowa podium the result of a significant change for Hunter-Reay, or was it just the week where he finally got the result that his driving deserved?

“It hasn’t been for a lack of speed,” he told us. “We were close to winning Long Beach. We finished on the podium at the Indy Grand Prix. We would have had a good shot at winning the Indy 500 had we been able to complete the race.

“It’s been there, just a lot of variables have stepped in the way and interrupted those runs, so it was nice at Iowa to just have a very straightforward race where I could race from 15th to third. It was a good weekend for us.”

Now he touches down at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is one of the favorite tracks for IndyCar drivers. What is it about Mid-Ohio that appeals to Ryan Hunter-Reay and his colleagues?

“Mid-Ohio is one of those road courses that has everything you’d want,” he explained. “From a fan perspective, it’s a great family atmosphere, camping, all that stuff. It has numerous corners in one sight line.

“The drivers love it because it’s a flowing track,” he continued. “It’s just an old-school road course that still has all the credentials to be one of the best in the country.”

Hunter-Reay already has an idea of what he needs to do to improve upon his Iowa success in the Honda Indy 200.

“I think it’s just putting the whole weekend together—having the right set up, the right strategy, the pit stops. I have to be on my game,” he said. “The whole thing has to come together to win an IndyCar race. Everything has to be perfect, and certainly we’re coming to an end to the aero kit here, so we’d like to get some more wins in this era.”

Even though the 2017 season hasn’t gone the way that he would have liked, Ryan Hunter-Reay isn’t wallowing. He’s found positives to take away even from the races that have not panned out, and knows he’s a contender.

“Indy, obviously we were contending for a race win there,” he said when we asked about his highlights from the season so far. “Long Beach was one that we didn’t have the greatest tire choice there. We should have gone to the new reds at the end of the race. We used them in the beginning; that kind of put us back to P2.

“That was going to be a fight in the end with James [Hinchcliffe], and congrats to him for the win, but I think that was one of our better races of the year.”

Next: Tony Kanaan talks about staying power in IndyCar

Whatever happens at the Honda Indy 200 on Sunday, IndyCar fans know that Ryan Hunter-Reay has become the anchor of the Andretti Autosport team. He’s always competitive and has found a home with the organization. What is it about Andretti that’s worked so well for him, for so long?

“Just working with some great people, talented people,” he reflected. “This is my home. I’ve been here, I think this is my eighth year, and they’re supportive of me. They believe in me, I believe in them and we work very well together. I think it’s just a great environment to go to work in.”