Full IndyCar championship standings (if Penske scandal didn’t happen)

As a die-hard IndyCar fan with over three decades of racing passion under my belt, I must say this season has been quite a rollercoaster ride! The recent points adjustments due to Scott McLaughlin’s “accidental overtake button mishap” have left me utterly astonished.

During the next four weeks, there will be a summer recess for IndyCar, as NBC focuses on broadcasting the Summer Olympics happening in Paris, France.

After a tumultuous street race in Toronto, Ontario, only five races remain on the 2024 calendar which consists of seventeen events.

As a longtime NASCAR fan, I’m thrilled about the upcoming racing season. The fact that the first four events are all happening within just 16 days is quite impressive and will certainly keep me on the edge of my seat. And to top it off, the relocated season finale at Nashville Superspeedway is scheduled for mid-September, giving us fans something to look forward to in a couple of weeks. I’ve been to a few races at that track, and let me tell you, it’s one of my favorites. The high-speed action and the electric atmosphere make for an unforgettable experience. Bring on the racing season!

The initial stages of the 2024 racing season were intriguing, as the first two events took place. However, it wasn’t until 45 days later that it was exposed that Team Penske had violated rules by tampering with the push-to-pass overtake system during the inaugural race held on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Josef Newgarden’s victory was taken away and awarded to Pato O’Ward from Arrow McLaren, while Scott McLaughlin lost his third-place finish.

As a gamer, I moved up from fourth to second place, not because I cheated, but to ensure fair play in the championship. Since Team Penske was bending the rules and gaining an unfair advantage by collecting eight extra points, IndyCar decided to dock me ten points instead. So, in essence, I lost two points overall due to their rule-bending.

Here is what the IndyCar championship standings look like through the season’s first 12 races.

1. Alex Palou leads with a score of 411 (zero negative points)

Here is how the current championship standings would look, had the initial results of the season opener been kept.

1 – I’m Alex Palou, leading the pack with a score of 407 points.

In this case, it seems that McLaughlin suffered the most significant setback, as his alleged infraction was merely a one-time mistake involving the incorrect use of the passing button.

Due to Alex Palou from Chip Ganassi Racing advancing from sixth to fourth position, earning four points in the process, and Scott Dixon (No. 3 Chevrolet) losing all 35 points he initially had after finishing in third place, there was a significant shift of 39 points towards Palou, who is currently the two-time and leading champion in the series.

In simpler terms, McLaughlin currently leads in the points for the oval races, and the gap between him and Palou is just 44 points as opposed to 83 points if we consider the remaining four races of the season are all on oval tracks. This narrow difference could turn out to be quite important.

In the context of this season, Palou has achieved two top-five finishes, with one being second place, across the three oval races held so far. While he’s known for his prowess on road and street courses, Palou demonstrates competitive skills on ovals as well. However, McLaughlin surpassed him by 52 points in these three oval races.

From my perspective as a dedicated fan, McLaughlin’s disqualification marked the beginning of a season filled with unfortunate events. To put it bluntly, he was recorded as finishing 27th, marked DSQ. Despite showing improvements in all subsequent street course races, his best performance was still a Did Not Finish (16th place in Toronto).

The unexpected twist is that Newgarden, currently ranked eighth in the championship, would actually be ranked seventh if things stayed the same. Since he joined Team Penske in 2017, he hasn’t placed lower than fifth in any race, and with his record of only twice finishing outside of the top two, this is a remarkable consistency for a two-time series champion.

Besides clinching back-to-back victories at the Indy 500, Newgarden’s season performance has been somewhat lackluster, despite his St. Petersburg triumph. In total, he’s managed only four other top 10 finishes. At Iowa Speedway, a track where he boasts six previous wins, he was the sole Team Penske driver who failed to secure a win during the doubleheader weekend.

Despite his initial disqualification, it’s important to note that he remained the top betting choice for the championship due to a unique factor: This year had the highest number of oval races since he joined IndyCar in 2012, with a total of seven. Moreover, leading into the 2024 season, he had won eight out of the eleven most recent oval races.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a mix of enthusiasm and disappointment. While it’s true that Newgarden has managed to improve his situation significantly, going from a 145-point deficit to an 88-point one is still further than he’d like to be, especially considering we have key races at World Wide Technology Raceway, the Milwaukee Mile (two events), and Nashville yet to come.

I may not be struggling on oval tracks – I’m holding strong in second place in the oval standings. However, things aren’t looking so great for me on road and street courses. Unfortunately, I’m lagging behind, sitting at 15th position, with drivers from eight out of nine full-time teams leaving me behind.

From my perspective as a devoted fan, Power’s net loss of merely two points due to the controversy could potentially cost him the championship if it comes down to that difference. However, considering the slim chances of such a situation arising, more debates might ignite. Importantly, it’s crucial to note that the scandal didn’t just give Palou a four-point boost from moving up two positions; he actually gained six points over Power due to the incident.

IndyCar racing resumes at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on August 17, with the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. You can catch this live on USA Network from 6:00 p.m. ET. Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss out!

Read More

• TOMI PREDICTION. TOMI cryptocurrency
• CANTO PREDICTION. CANTO cryptocurrency
• KP3R PREDICTION. KP3R cryptocurrency
• EPAN PREDICTION. EPAN cryptocurrency
• ZEX PREDICTION. ZEX cryptocurrency
• Heroes Evolved: 5v5 MOBA redeem codes and how to use them (August 2024)
• Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda claps back at viral post of her father that claimed he had a ‘pet monkey’ – on 10th anniversary of his death
• Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You getting movie adaptation after It Ends With Us success
• A fourth season of Ted Lasso depends on this one important thing
• MDT PREDICTION. MDT cryptocurrency

2024-08-02 17:32