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IndyCar: Final 2017 Driver Power Rankings: Josef Newgarden on top

By Asher Fair

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Josef Newgarden of the United States driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet racing in the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway on September 17, 2017 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Josef Newgarden of the United States driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet racing in the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway on September 17, 2017 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Tony Kanaan of Brazil driver of the #10 NTT Data Honda (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Tony Kanaan of Brazil driver of the #10 NTT Data Honda (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

#16 through #13

No. 4. AJ Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet. CONOR DALY. #16. [Last Race: 16th (-)] — Like his teammate Carlos Munoz, Conor Daly made the most of equipment that was not great, especially late in the season. He finished the season with three top 10 finishes in the last five races, including two in the last three. One of those top 10 finishes was a season-high 5th place result at Gateway, his best career finish on an oval track.

[Last Race: 14th (-1)] — What saves Charlie Kimball from being lower in these rankings is the fact that he did manage to finish in the top 8 five times this season. However, he finished higher than just one other full-time driver in the standings, and he didn’t finish in the top 5 one time this full season despite the fact that he was driving for a four-car Chip Ganassi Racing team.. No. 83. Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda. CHARLIE KIMBALL. #15

No. 5. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda. JAMES HINCHCLIFFE. #14. [Last Race: 12th (-2)] — James Hinchcliffe ended what started out as a promising season in extremely disappointing fashion. In the final 10 races of the season, he finished higher than 20th place just five times. Just three of his six top 9 finishes this season came in the last 14 races of the year, which was a huge disappointment, especially after he won at Long Beach in the second race of the season.

[Last Race: 13th (-)] — While Tony Kanaan still has it on the superspeedways, as evidenced by the fact that he finished in the top 5 in all three of the superspeedway races this season, he has lost it on road and street courses, as evidenced by the fact that he finished in the top 10 just twice in 11 races on those types of tracks this season. Overall, he finished his final season as a Chip Ganassi Racing driver with just one top 15 finish in the last six races.. No. 10. Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda. TONY KANAAN. #13