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IndyCar: Ranking the Past 10 Series Champions

By Asher Fair

Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Hewlett Packard Enterprise driver Simon Pagenaud (center) celebrates his win and the title with Verizon Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya (right) and Steak’n Shake driver Graham Rahal (left) after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Hewlett Packard Enterprise driver Simon Pagenaud (center) celebrates his win and the title with Verizon Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya (right) and Steak’n Shake driver Graham Rahal (left) after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 18, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; IndyCar Series driver Will Power drives through turn one during pole day for the 2014 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
May 18, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; IndyCar Series driver Will Power drives through turn one during pole day for the 2014 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2 – Will Power, Team Penske, 2014

In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Will Power came into the final race of the IndyCar season with the lead in the championship standings. In all three races, he wrecked and lost the championship lead. In 2010 and 2011, it was to Dario Franchitti, and in 2012, it was to first-time champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.

In 2013, Power never establishing himself as a true championship contender, and he was behind all season long in the championship standings. This helped him take a more relaxed approach to every race; instead of trying to manage a huge points lead, he was simply trying to win. It paid off at the end of the season, as he won three of the remaining five races to catapult to 4th place in the championship.

How does this have to do with 2014? Quite. He took that winning approach into 2014 and started off very strong and really never looked back. Despite his three championship letdowns by a combined 26 points in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Power having never won a championship before looking like he was, in fact, a three-time champion looking for his fourth in five seasons.

With the championship lead heading into the season finale at Fontana, Power looked poised to lose it again after fellow championship contender Helio Castroneves qualified on pole and Power qualified back in 21st. But instead, Power got to the front and led laps before finishing ahead of Castroneves, making a huge statement by winning his first championship by the largest points margin since 2005 and redeeming himself from his past championship collapses.