This evening qualifying for the 2010 Honda IndyCar Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio takes place on the famous sports car course of Morrow County, Ohio. Although the track has been on the Indy Racing League or CART schedule for many years (bar a couple of lapses), it has never really become much of a fan favourite due to the difficulties passing can bring. . While the off track events and action can be absolutely marvellous - indeed Mid-Ohio rivals Spa-Francorchamps for festival appeal - the actual racing can occasionally leave one glazing over.

So far this weekend, Graham Rahal topped the first practice while Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power stalked the young Newman-Haas driver for pace. Should the 21-year-old score a pole position for tomorrow's race, it would match efforts of his father at his first run at the track in 1983.

Practice also saw spins for Penske charger Ryan Briscoe, Adam Carroll in the fifth Andretti Autosport machine and Alex Tagliani in his very own FAZZT Racing car.

Tony Kanaan spent a few laps around the lacklustre Milka Duno during the session, complaining vociferously that she was weaving; however Duno for once was not the slowest in the session - that honour was taken up by Jay Howard, the Englishman running this weekend for Sarah Fisher Racing. Unlike other road course sessions this year, Duno will be allowed to qualify.

In the Championship, Will Power leads the Scot Dario Franchitti by fifty points, meaning that should Franchitti win and Power retire, the Australian would still leave with a healthy lead; however a victory for the Penske driver and it will leave a massive gap for those behind - possibly too big to contend with. Scott Dixon is third in the title hunt, some 71 points behind Power, while Briscoe and Hunter-Reay are not far behind the Ganassi driver. Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves is 6th in the Championship.

Qualifying for the 2010 Honda IndyCar Grand Prix starts at 17.30 (GMT+1) and will be live on indycar.com.