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IndyCar: Post-Season Driver Grades

By Asher Fair

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Drivers race on the first lap of 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: Drivers race on the first lap of 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 17: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /

Team Penske, Chevrolet

Will Power had an extremely inconsistent season, but he still managed to be in the hunt for the championship until the season finale at Sonoma. For Power, his results formula for the 2017 season was simple. He either finished in the top 6 or he didn’t even finish in the top 12. He racked up 10 top 6 finishes and seven finishes of 13th place or lower this year. He ended up being one of two drivers with three or more wins this season, which helps his grade.. No. 12. Team Penske, Chevrolet. WILL POWER. A-

Team Penske, Chevrolet. HELIO CASTRONEVES. A-. Helio Castroneves finished all but one race in his 20th career IndyCar season, and of the 16 races he finished, he never finished lower than 9th place. However, he was only able to win one race at Iowa, which ended up being his first win in over three years, and he once again failed to win the championship despite the fact that he was eligible to do so heading into the season finale at Sonoma.. No. 3

A. Simon Pagenaud became the first driver to complete every single lap in every single race of a season since Tony Kanaan pulled off the historic feat en route to winning the 2004 championship. However, despite the fact that he racked up 13 top 5 finishes in 17 races this season, Pagenaud was unable to win this year’s championship, which is the only reason he doesn’t get an “A+” grade. He did end up close, however, as he finished in 2nd place.. No. 1. Team Penske, Chevrolet. SIMON PAGENAUD

JOSEF NEWGARDEN. A. Josef Newgarden won his first career IndyCar title this season after leading all drivers with four victories, a total that accounts for more than half of his career win total. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement, as many of the issues he had in 2017 were self-inflicted, so he doesn’t get an “A+” grade. This should actually play to the advantage of the sixth-year American who has improved upon his finish in the standings in each of his six seasons of IndyCar competition. If he improves even more next season, he could dominate the sport.. No. 2. Team Penske, Chevrolet

More from IndyCar

How will the grades change next season with some drivers staying put at their current teams, some changing teams, some potentially leaving the sport for good and some making their debuts as full-time drivers in 2018?

How many new drivers will be added as full-time drivers in the 2018 season? How many and which drivers will become a part of which different teams’ driver lineups?

Will Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud continue to lead the way as far as driver grades go, or will somebody else challenge them, possibly even with an “A+” grade? Stay tuned to find out following the action from the IndyCar circuit in 2018.

Next: IndyCar Driver Power Rankings

Do you agree with these post-season driver grades? 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.