Mike Conway is targeting further victories in the Verizon IndyCar Series starting this weekend in Ohio with the Mid-Ohio Grand Prix.
The Sevenoaks driver was victorious two weeks ago in race two of the Toronto Grand Prix and he and Ed Carpenter Racing would love to be back on the top step of the podium this weekend.
Conway’s wins in the streets at Long Beach and Toronto and Carpenter’s victory at Texas have proven that the “little guy” can still be a factor against the “Super Teams.” Taking on the three-car Penske operation and the four-car Ganassi and Andretti armadas, the single-car unit of ECR comes to Mid-Ohio this weekend for the 90-lap feature with upset on its mind again.
The tough 2.25-mile, 13-turn permanent road circuit in the rolling hills of Ohio is always a physical test for the drivers and Conway, the 30-year-old Brit, feels he is ready for the challenge.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Conway said: “We were able to test the car last week and that has helped us coming back to Mid-Ohio for the race. It’s crazy to think I have only two races left in the year with ECR and the same for Ed (at the ovals). But the win at Toronto has our team pretty bumped up and we are excited for the Mid-Ohio event. It’s a very tough race on the drivers, especially if it is hot.”
The heat hasn’t been a factor for Conway as he trains near his Scottsdale, Ariz., home and survives the brutal workouts each day in the 100-plus heat.
He added: “A hot, humid day at Mid-Ohio can really take a lot out of a driver. Towards the end of a race you can see some drivers making mistakes and you need to be ready to take advantage at that point. I feel my fitness is right there with anyone in the series. But we all know how hard Mid-Ohio can be for us.”
Conway’s shared ride with Carpenter has been one of the most unique stories of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series campaign, as Mike drives the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy in 12 events with Ed handling the reigns in the six oval races.
“I think this year has been a perfect match for us in the current situation. I was through with the oval races two years ago after another bad crash at Indy. So I just wanted to drive the roads and streets. And Ed wanted to concentrate on the ovals and helping his team more behind the scenes. So it has been successful and I’m working better with team each week too.”
Playing the spoiler has been Conway and Carpenter motto all season long and they could continue to play that role this weekend when the cars rolled at 3:45 p.m. EDT Sunday.