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IndyCar’s best driver lineup might not belong to Penske or Ganassi

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IndyCar's best driver lineup might not belong to Penske or Ganassi

As a fan who has followed IndyCar racing closely for years, I am truly excited about the unexpected strength of Andretti Global’s driver lineup this season. While Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have had an iron grip on the championship for over a decade, the 2024 season is proving that other teams have some serious contenders.

For over a decade, Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have dominated the IndyCar championship, with Andretti Autosport (Andretti Global) being the last team to claim the title before them. Ryan Hunter-Reay’s victory in 2012 marks the most recent championship that was not won by either Team Penske or Chip Ganassi Racing.

It’s highly probable that Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward will extend his team’s winning streak to a 12th consecutive season in the 2024 championship, as he currently trails the leaders by a considerable margin of 70 points with only eight races left on the calendar.

Despite the dominance of IndyCar’s top-tier teams, whose drivers had won every race for the past 13 events, the 2024 season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course introduced a surprising twist: a driver from another team clinched victory. This suggests that IndyCar’s most formidable driver roster might belong to an unexpected team instead.

As a dedicated gamer following IndyCar racing, I can tell you that Team Penske boasts an impressive roster of drivers. Among them are two talented individuals who have each claimed the championship title twice – Will Power and Josef Newgarden. Plus, we have Scott McLaughlin joining their ranks.

Power experienced a remarkable rebound in 2024, securing wins after enduring a winless streak that lasted since the second half of 2022. However, his recent success is not enough to put him in contention for the championship as he has only managed one victory in this time frame. His unexpected title win in 2022 was an exception, making him the first driver with just a single victory to become champion since Tony Stewart claimed the Indy Racing League crown during the 1996-97 season.

Two-time Indy 500 champion Newgarden is facing challenges outside of oval tracks, as his current ranking in road and street course championship stands at a modest 15th position among nine out of the ten IndyCar series teams.

Despite the fact that six out of the last eight races this season are set to be held on oval tracks, making it difficult for anyone to write off his title chances, the reality is that a gap of 143 points between him and the leader is extremely challenging to overcome. He has managed three top-four finishes, but unfortunately, none of his other results have placed him inside the top fifteen.

I was thrilled to see McLaughlin’s impressive consistency at the end of the 2023 racing season, with his three podium finishes making him a formidable championship contender. However, it’s important to note that he also experienced four disappointing finishes of 20th place or worse during the same year.

Chip Ganassi Racing remains the team to watch, boasting a formidable roster. Reigning series champ Alex Palou continues his title defense and aims for a third crown in five years. Meanwhile, six-time champion Scott Dixon is in fourth place with an impressive track record of victories. Together, these two drivers have claimed four out of the last six championship titles.

The remaining drivers on the roster have room for improvement. None of them have managed to finish higher than 15th position so far. Marcus Armstrong and Linus Lundqvist have achieved podium finishes this year, yet their inconsistent performances have hindered their advancement in the rankings. Kyffin Simpson is currently in 21st place with a best finish of 12th. This season marks their first full year in the series.

Then there is Andretti Global.

As a dedicated follower of this racing team, I must admit that their winless streak midway through the 2024 season is concerning. In fact, it’s been over a decade since they last completed a full season without a single victory back in 2009. However, I can’t help but appreciate the strength and resilience of their driver lineup. They have shown remarkable grit and determination despite the team’s current predicament.

The team reduced their fleet from four vehicles to three, and previously, when they fielded just three cars permanently, they clinched the championship title.

Earlier in the racing season, Colton Herta held the front position in the championship standings. During the Indy 500, his No. 26 Honda was the one to beat. If Herta and his team had recognized that the damage to their car after his mid-race accident was less severe than they assumed, they likely could have stayed on par with the leaders and concluded the race within the top 10 positions.

During the Detroit, Michigan street race, his past tendencies proved costly for him once more. Having controlled the competition and seemed poised for victory, he suddenly found himself lagging behind and made a risky maneuver that knocked him out of the running. This hasty move brought back memories of similar missteps in Nashville in 2021 and Long Beach in 2022.

At Road America, during a race where he demonstrated the ability to win, he unfortunately got eliminated at the very first turn. Remarkably, he recovered and ended up finishing in sixth position.

If you remove any two of the three occurrences, he would currently be in second place in the championship rankings instead of fifth.

As a fan, I’m always intrigued by the unique stories of drivers in motorsports, and Kyle Kirkwood is no exception. He holds the distinctive title of having the best-worst finish in our series, with an 11th place under his belt. Remarkably, five out of the last six championships have been claimed by these very drivers who boast a best-worst finish. Among them are all four active former champions, each of whom went on to win a title after experiencing that less-than-ideal result at least once.

I’ve noticed an intriguing shift in the racing performance of this driver in 2024 compared to the previous year. Although he hasn’t secured a victory yet, his mistakes have been minimal, a significant improvement from the early part of the last season when his sole top 10 finish came from a win.

To round up, Marcus Ericsson joined the team from Chip Ganassi Racing during the off-season. He was well on his way to securing a top five position at the season opener in St. Petersburg until a mechanical issue forced him out of the race.

May 2022 brought unfortunate events for the Indy 500 champion, who ended up crashing during the opening lap of the race despite qualifying last due to an accident in practice. However, he has remarkably climbed up to 12th place in the standings through a series of four consecutive top 10 finishes following that setback.

I’ve noticed that only O’Ward and Kirkwood have been consistently performing well lately. It’s impressive to see the Swede finding his footing at his new team despite a rocky beginning.

Andretti Global hasn’t reached the same caliber of speed as Team Penske or Chip Ganassi Racing yet. However, their strategic move to reduce team size and bring in Marcus Ericsson alongside Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood is proving effective. Maintaining this consistent lineup could lead to significant progress if they avoid the pattern of making driver changes, which they’ve done in 14 out of the last 15 offseasons.

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2024-07-13 17:32

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