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IndyCar Driver Power Rankings: Dixon challenges Newgarden for top spot at Watkins Glen

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, practices for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, practices for the Verizon IndyCar Series Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /

#4 through #1

[Last Race: 4th (-)] — Aside of his crash at Texas, Helio Castroneves has still not finished a race in lower than 9th place yet this season. He kept that trend up with a solid 4th place finish at Watkins Glen as Team Penske’s top finisher, and he remains very much alive in the championship hunt because of it.. No. 3. Team Penske, Chevrolet. HELIO CASTRONEVES. #4

ALEXANDER ROSSI. #3. [Last Race: 5th (+2)] — No driver is hotter than Alexander Rossi is right now. In the last five races, he has not finished lower than 6th place, and three of those five races have resulted in podium finishes for him. At Watkins Glen, he added his first victory of the season and first since he won his first career IndyCar race in last year’s Indianapolis 500.. No. 98. Andretti Herta Autosport, Honda

#2. [Last Race: 1st (-1)] — Following a streak of four consecutive top 2 finishes, including three victories, Josef Newgarden’s chances at winning his first career championship suffered a devastating blow with a crash coming out of the pits at Watkins Glen. He now leads the championship standings by just three points over four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.. No. 2. Team Penske, Chevrolet. JOSEF NEWGARDEN

SCOTT DIXON. #1. [Last Race: 2nd (+1)] — When other drivers make mistakes, Scott Dixon capitalizes. At Watkins Glen, he did so with a 2nd place finish following the pit road crash of championship leader Josef Newgarden, giving him 15 top 10 finishes in the 16 races contested so far this season. While he still trails Newgarden by three points in the standings, Dixon is the clear favorite to win his fifth career title this season.. No. 9. Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda

The Verizon IndyCar Series gets back into racing action on Sunday, September 17th with the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at the 11-turn, 2.385-mile natural terrain Sonoma Raceway road course in Sonoma, California.

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That race is the final road course race of the 2017 season as well as the final overall race of the season, so it will determine the final championship standings and power rankings.

Can Scott Dixon hang on to his lead in these rankings, or will Josef Newgarden retake it? Conversely, will Newgarden fend off Dixon in the standings to win his first career championship? Which drivers will have jumps in these rankings? Which drivers will have plummets out of their current solid spots? Stay tuned to find out following the action from Sonoma next Sunday.

Next: IndyCar Series Standings

Do you agree with this week’s edition of the IndyCar driver power rankings? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it. Also be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.