IndyCar: Chevrolet vs. Honda is basically Team Penske vs. Honda

By Asher Fair | Jun 19, 2019

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Josef Newgarden of the United States, driver of the #2 Fitzgerald USA Team Penske Chevrolet, battles Alexander Rossi of the United States, driver of the #27 GESS/Capstone Honda, during the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

The battle among IndyCar engine manufacturers Honda and Chevrolet has been more like a battle between Honda and one Chevrolet team, Team Penske.

It is no secret that Team Penske have been the top Chevrolet team in IndyCar pretty much ever since Chevrolet re-entered the series along with the introduction of the DW12 chassis ahead of the 2012 season. But over the last few seasons, the Chevrolet vs. Honda battle has effectively been nothing more than the Team Penske vs. Honda battle.

You have to go back to the 2016 season before you find the last time a car sporting a bowtie logo found victory lane. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon drove his #9 Chevrolet to victory lane in the season’s penultimate race at Watkins Glen International in early September.

After the 2016 season, Chip Ganassi Racing switched their engine manufacturer back to Honda following a three-year stint with Chevrolet.

As a result, you have to go back even earlier than that before you find the last time a Chevrolet car for a team that are currently a Chevrolet team found victory lane. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden drove his #21 Chevrolet to victory lane in the 2016 race at Iowa Speedway in mid-July.

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What’s ironic about this is the fact that Newgarden signed with Team Penske after the 2016 season concluded and has been responsible for 10 victories for the team in the “Team Penske vs. Honda” era.

You have to go all the way back to the 2014 season before you find the last time a Chevrolet car for a team that are currently a Chevrolet team found victory lane with a driver who has not gone on to become a Team Penske driver. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Mike Conway won the second of two races at Exhibition Place in July of that year.

KV Racing Technology won two races in the 2015 season using Chevrolet engines and Chevrolet aero kits, but they folded ahead of the 2017 season. Sebastien Bourdais won both of these races for the team at the Raceway on Belle Isle and the Milwaukee Mile.

Since Chevrolet’s last non-Team Penske victory back in September of 2016 at Watkins Glen International, a total of 44 races have been contested. Chevrolet, specifically Team Penske, have earned 22 victories in these 44 races. Honda have earned the other 22, and a total of different six teams have earned at least one of these 22 victories.

Newgarden, as stated above, has earned Team Penske 10 of their 22 victories during this span. Will Power has earned six, Simon Pagenaud has earned five and Helio Castroneves has earned one.

Andretti Autosport have earned Honda eight of their 22 victories during this span. Chip Ganassi Racing have earned five, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have earned four, Dale Coyne Racing have earned two, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports have earned two and Harding Steinbrenner Racing have earned one. No active full-time Honda team has not won a race during this span.

In the 2017 season, all four of Team Penske’s full-time drivers finished in the top five in the championship standings, including two in the top two. The next highest Chevrolet driver in the standings was Ed Carpenter Racing’s J.R. Hildebrand, who finished in 15th with a season-high finish of second in the race at Iowa Speedway, which was won by Castroneves.

In the 2018 season, all three of Team Penske’s full-time drivers finished in the top six in the championship standings. The next highest Chevrolet driver in the standings was Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot, who finished in 14th with a season-high finish of second in the race at Iowa Speedway, which was won by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ James Hinchcliffe.

Through the first nine races of the 17-race 2019 season, all three Team Penske drivers currently sit in the top six in the championship standings, with one leading and another in the third place. The next highest Chevrolet driver in the standings is Pigot, who sits in 13th with a season-high finish of fifth in the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, which was won by Pagenaud.

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When will a non-Team Penske Chevrolet team win an IndyCar race to become the first to do so since the 2016 season? Eight races remain on the 2019 schedule.