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IndyCar: Driver Power Rankings after 2018 Kohler Grand Prix

Asher Fair
Asher Fair

Beyond the Flag

FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

How do the 20 full-time IndyCar drivers stack up against one another following the 10th race of the 2018 season, the Kohler Grand Prix, at Road America?

Road America played host to the 10th of 17 races on the 2018 IndyCar schedule last Sunday, and that race was won by Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden. Newgarden now has three victories so far this season in his #1 Chevrolet.

Newgarden dominated the 55-lap race around the 14-turn, 4.048-mile (6.515-kilometer) Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The only two laps of the race that he did not lead were the two laps following his first pit stop, as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon stayed out two laps longer in his #9 Honda than Newgarden did.

Through 10 races so far this season, six different drivers have won at least one race. Three drivers entered the Kohler Grand Prix having won more than one race so far this season, with all three of those drivers, who were Newgarden, Dixon and Team Penske’s Will Power, having won two of the season’s first nine races.

Newgarden became the first driver to reach three victories in the 2018 season thanks to his dominant performance at Road America. He also won the race at ISM Raceway earlier this season after holding off Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie Robert Wickens in a thrilling finish, and he won the race at Barber Motorsports earlier this season in dominant fashion as well.

The race at Barber Motorsports Park was similar to the race at Road America in that the only times during which Newgarden was passed in that race were when he was in the pits.

How did the action from the race at Road America affect the IndyCar Driver Power Rankings? Here are the formulated IndyCar Driver Power Rankings and the non-formulated IndyCar Driver Power Rankings after Newgarden’s third victory of the 2018 season.

To see how the formulated IndyCar Driver Power Rankings are calculated, click here.

FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Charlie Kimball, driver of the #23 Tresiba Chevrolet (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Charlie Kimball, driver of the #23 Tresiba Chevrolet (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

#20 through #16

Last Rank 19th (-1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 0
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 17.40
Average finish in last five races 16.40
Most recent finish 17th
Points in most recent race 13
Standings position 20th
Points 134
Last Rank 18th (-1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 0
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 16.70
Average finish in last five races 17.00
Most recent finish 19th
Points in most recent race 11
Standings position 18th
Points 149
Last Rank 20th (+2)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 0
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 16.90
Average finish in last five races 15.80
Most recent finish 15th
Points in most recent race 15
Standings position 19th
Points 148
Last Rank 17th (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 1
Top 5 finishes 1
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 15.80
Average finish in last five races 17.20
Most recent finish 22nd
Points in most recent race 8
Standings position 16th
Points 155
Last Rank 16th (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 3
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 16.30
Average finish in last five races 14.60
Most recent finish 18th
Points in most recent race 12
Standings position 17th
Points 151
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Ed Jones, driver of the #10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Ed Jones, driver of the #10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

#15 through #11

Last Rank 14th (-1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 3
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 14.00
Average finish in last five races 16.20
Most recent finish 14th
Points in most recent race 16
Standings position 14th
Points 173
Last Rank 15th (+1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 2
Top 5 finishes 0
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 14.60
Average finish in last five races 14.40
Most recent finish 8th
Points in most recent race 24
Standings position 15th
Points 171
Last Rank 13th (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 5
Top 5 finishes 2
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 12.70
Average finish in last five races 13.00
Most recent finish 4th
Points in most recent race 32
Standings position 13th
Points 201
Last Rank 11th (-1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 4
Top 5 finishes 3
Podium finishes 1
Wins 1
Average finish 11.90
Average finish in last five races 16.60
Most recent finish 13th
Points in most recent race 17
Standings position 9th
Points 235
Last Rank 12th (+1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 6
Top 5 finishes 2
Podium finishes 2
Wins 0
Average finish 13.10
Average finish in last five races 11.60
Most recent finish 9th
Points in most recent race 22
Standings position 12th
Points 205
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

#10 through #6

Last Rank 10th (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 5
Top 5 finishes 1
Podium finishes 0
Wins 0
Average finish 10.00
Average finish in last five races 10.00
Most recent finish 11th
Points in most recent race 19
Standings position 10th
Points 232
Last Rank 9th (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 7
Top 5 finishes 1
Podium finishes 1
Wins 0
Average finish 10.60
Average finish in last five races 8.40
Most recent finish 7th
Points in most recent race 26
Standings position 8th
Points 255
Last Rank 5th (-3)
Races 9
Top 10 finishes 7
Top 5 finishes 3
Podium finishes 1
Wins 0
Average finish 7.78
Average finish in last five races 9.60
Most recent finish 10th
Points in most recent race 20
Standings position 11th
Points 229
Last Rank 4th (-3)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 6
Top 5 finishes 4
Podium finishes 4
Wins 2
Average finish 10.70
Average finish in last five races 10.20
Most recent finish 23rd
Points in most recent race 7
Standings position 5th
Points 328
Last Rank 8th (+2)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 7
Top 5 finishes 4
Podium finishes 2
Wins 0
Average finish 9.60
Average finish in last five races 9.40
Most recent finish 5th
Points in most recent race 30
Standings position 7th
Points 274
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

#5 through #1

Last Rank 7th (+2)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 9
Top 5 finishes 3
Podium finishes 1
Wins 0
Average finish 8.20
Average finish in last five races 10.00
Most recent finish 6th
Points in most recent race 28
Standings position 6th
Points 278
Last Rank 6th (+2)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 7
Top 5 finishes 3
Podium finishes 3
Wins 3
Average finish 7.30
Average finish in last five races 9.20
Most recent finish 1st
Points in most recent race 54
Standings position 4th
Points 343
Last Rank 2nd (-1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 7
Top 5 finishes 7
Podium finishes 5
Wins 1
Average finish 6.10
Average finish in last five races 7.60
Most recent finish 16th
Points in most recent race 14
Standings position 2nd
Points 348
Last Rank 3rd (+1)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 8
Top 5 finishes 8
Podium finishes 4
Wins 1
Average finish 6.50
Average finish in last five races 3.00
Most recent finish 2nd
Points in most recent race 40
Standings position 2nd
Points 348
Last Rank 1st (-)
Races 10
Top 10 finishes 9
Top 5 finishes 7
Podium finishes 5
Wins 2
Average finish 4.10
Average finish in last five races 2.40
Most recent finish 3rd
Points in most recent race 36
Standings position 1st
Points 393

Biggest Movers
Up: Furniture Row Racing (+5)
Down: Richard Petty Motorsports (-6)

FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 08: Scott Dixon, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Non-formulated IndyCar Driver Power Rankings 

Rank Driver Car, Team, Engine Last Rank Trend
1 Scott Dixon #9, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda 1 0
2 Josef Newgarden #1, Team Penske, Chevrolet 5 +3
3 Ryan Hunter-Reay #28, Andretti Autosport, Honda 3 0
4 Alexander Rossi #27, Andretti Autosport, Honda 2 -2
5 Will Power #12, Team Penske, Chevrolet 4 -1
6 Robert Wickens #6, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda 10 +4
7 Graham Rahal #15, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda 8 +1
8 Simon Pagenaud #22, Team Penske, Chevrolet 6 -2
9 James Hinchcliffe #5, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda 7 -2
10 Sebastien Bourdais #18, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda 9 -1
11 Marco Andretti #98, Andretti Herta Autosport, Honda 11 0
12 Takuma Sato #30, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda 13 +1
13 Ed Jones #10, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda 12 -1
14 Spencer Pigot #21, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet 15 +1
15 Tony Kanaan #14, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet 16 +1
16 Zach Veach #26, Andretti Autosport, Honda 17 +1
17 Matheus Leist #4, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet 19 +2
18 Charlie Kimball #23, Carlin Motorsport, Chevrolet 14 -4
19 Gabby Chaves #88, Harding Racing, Chevrolet 18 -1
20 Max Chilton #59, Carlin Motorsport, Chevrolet 20 0

Biggest Movers
Up: Robert Wickens (+4)
Down: Charlie Kimball (-4)

Conclusion

While Chevrolet drivers have now won as many races as Honda drivers so far this season, as Chevrolet drivers and Honda drivers have combined to win five races each, Honda drivers have still made up the majority of the key forces to be reckoned with.

More from IndyCar

Even in the five races that have been won by Chevrolet drivers, Honda drivers have dominated the top five finishing positions. Of the 25 top five finishing positions in the five races that have been won by Chevrolet drivers so far this season, Honda drivers have taken 19 of them.

The only race during which a Chevrolet driver won and another Chevrolet driver finished in the top five was the Indianapolis 500. In that race, Will Power won in his #12 Team Penske Chevrolet, while part-time driver Ed Carpenter finished in second place in his #20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

There have not yet been any races so far this season that have featured two full-time Chevrolet drivers finishing in the top five, and the Indy 500 has been the only race in 2018 that has featured two full-time Chevrolet drivers in the top six, as Simon Pagenaud finished in sixth place in his #22 Team Penske Chevrolet.

Next: Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time

Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa is scheduled to host the next race on the 2018 IndyCar schedule, That race is the Iowa Corn 300, and it is scheduled to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 8,

Asher Fair

Asher Fair

Asher has been with FanSided since Feb. 2017, primarily covering motorsport – NASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 – for Beyond the Flag. He became an officially accredited media member in Sep. 2019 and was hired as Junior Editor in Oct. 2020. Following a promotion to Associate Editor in Jul. 2021, he continues to manage the site and also occasionally contributes on FanSided's NFL and NCAA sites.