The Verizon IndyCar Series arrives at the end of their season, the Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma. For some, the season could not end at a worse time, as the season’s championship hunt comes to a head. But for most in the paddock, they will be happy to take some time away from racing, following the passing of their fellow driver Justin Wilson last week at Pocono.
With that in mind, the drivers of the IndyCar Series would attempt to be tempered but exciting in their six-car battle for the Astor Cup. Juan Pablo Montoya (#2 Verizon Chevy) entered the race at Sonoma Raceway with a comfortable point cushion over second place Graham Rahal (#15 Steak N Shake Honda). However, four other drivers were mathematically eligible to win the title, with double points to be awarded on Sunday.
One of those six drivers in Will Power (#1 Verizon Chevy) would claim the pole at Sonoma, with fellow championship contender Josef Newgarden (#67 GoPro Chevy) starting alongside. A number of the other contenders would start in the Top 10, the lone exception being Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chevy).
As the race got underway, Will Power would jump out to a solid lead over second place Josef Newgarden. Meanwhile, further back in the pack, pit strategies would take shape within the first ten laps, as some drivers came in early to make the race a four-stop plan. That would eventually cycle Sebastian Saavedra (#8 Big Machine Records Chevy) to the lead.
Meanwhile, drama would unfold for two championship contenders further back in the field. Teammates Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya would collide in Turn 5, costing both drivers valuable time on track, and potentially the championship. This incident and a series of pit stops would help Scott Dixon shuffle to the lead, and in the catbird’s seat for the title.
As the race wore past halfway, Dixon would not be challenged at the front. Meanwhile, the challenge would be for Montoya to recover and not let the championship lead he held all season long until that point at Sonoma. He would battle through traffic, and work his way back into the Top 10 as the race was late in its going.
Scott Dixon was secure in winning the race, and securing the most points possible on the day at Sonoma Raceway. Now, Juan Pablo Montoya needed to finish fifth or better to win the title. He would fall just short however, finishing sixth. With that, the points were tied, and Scott Dixon had the most wins that season, the ultimate tiebreaker in that case. With that, Scott Dixon would win the Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma and the 2015 IndyCar Championship.
It would be a banner day for the team of Chip Ganassi Racing, who notched their 100th team win in IndyCar at Sonoma. Meanwhile, Dixon’s teammates Charlie Kimball (#83 NovoLog Chevy) and Tony Kanaan (#10 NTT Data Chevy) came home third and fourth. The only driver to break up the parade was Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28 DHL Honda) in second.
And so concludes the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season, a season of ups and downs, successes and failures, and two very different big stories leaving the series in the final two weeks.
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