Beyond the Flag
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IndyCar: Top-Five Championship Contenders In 2017

By Asher Fair

Aug 27, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Chip Ganassi Racing Team driver Scott Dixon (9) of New Zealand and Team Penske driver Will Power (12) of Australia and Rahal Letterman Racing driver Graham Rahal (15) of United Statesi and Ed Carpenter Racing driver Ed Carpenter (20) of United States and Chip Ganassi Racing Team driver Tony Kanaan (10) of Brazil during the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 27, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Chip Ganassi Racing Team driver Scott Dixon (9) of New Zealand and Team Penske driver Will Power (12) of Australia and Rahal Letterman Racing driver Graham Rahal (15) of United Statesi and Ed Carpenter Racing driver Ed Carpenter (20) of United States and Chip Ganassi Racing Team driver Tony Kanaan (10) of Brazil during the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Castrol Edge/Curb driver Alexander Rossi races during the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Castrol Edge/Curb driver Alexander Rossi races during the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

Other Contenders

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing

Scott Dixon will be a contender to win races no matter what, but as we saw last season, his career is on the decline. It was the first season that he did not finish in the top three in the championship standings since 2006, so don’t expect a championship run out of him this season.

Charlie Kimball, Chip Ganassi Racing

Charlie Kimball is silently becoming one of IndyCar’s best. He is one of the most consistent drivers in the pack. Last season, he finished tied for 8th place in the standings with 11 top 10s. The barrier between being here and being in the top 5 on this list is winning his first race since 2013.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport

Ryan Hunter-Reay is coming off a disastrous 2016 season. He did not win a race for the first time since 2009, which is also the only other season aside of 2016 that he did not finish in the top 10 in the championship standings when driving full-time.

James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

James Hinchcliffe was robbed last season, and it’s why he should not be slept on. The 25-point penalty that he received at Texas ended up costing him FIVE spots in the final championship standings (8th to 13th). He will be a driver to watch, but not an immediate front-runner.

Alexander Rossi, Andretti Herta Autosport

Statistically speaking, Alexander Rossi is the most clutch driver in this field. His top 5 finishes last season were both in the races paying double points. Now with a year of experience under his belt, couple that clutch instinct with a few more big results and you have yourself a driver on the verge of greatness.