IndyCar: Will any championship contender stand out heading to Laguna Seca?

Will any 2019 IndyCar championship contender stand out over the course of the three-week stretch of races before the season finale at Laguna Seca?

This Sunday afternoon’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway is set to kick off a crucial three-week stretch of races that will lead up to the three-week break before the 2019 IndyCar season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Four drivers are still serious championship contenders with just four races remaining on the 17-race 2019 schedule.

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden leads the championship standings with 504 points. Trailing Newgarden are Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi with 488 points (-16), Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud with 457 points (-47) and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon with 442 (-62).

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The Astor Cup could very well end up in the hands of any of these four drivers by the time the season finale concludes, especially with that race being a double points-paying race.

But before we get to the 11-turn, 2.238-mile (3.602-kilometer) WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca natural terrain road course in Monterey, California to wrap up the season, these four championship contenders and the rest of the field are set to take on yet another grueling three-week stretch of races following a three-week break that began after Dixon secured his second victory of the season in thrilling fashion at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Here is the schedule over the course of the next three weeks.

Date – Track
Sunday, August 18 – Pocono Raceway
Saturday, August 24 – World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Sunday, September 1 – Portland International Raceway

The season finale is then scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 22.

Will any driver be able to set himself apart from the rest over the course of these three races heading to a track at which there has not been a race since the 2004 Champ Car season?

More than likely, the answer to that question is no, as each of these four drivers have been prolific at each of these three tracks, all of which are recent additions to the schedule.

In the races at these three tracks last season, the four championship contenders recorded a collective average finish of 5.17 with no finishes outside of the top 10 and only one finish outside of the top eight. They collected one victory (Rossi at Pocono), four podium finishes and seven top five finishes.

In the 2017 season, Portland International Raceway was not on the schedule. In the races at the other two tracks, the four championship contenders recorded a collective average finish of 3.38 with no finishes outside of the top six. They collected one victory (Newgarden at Gateway) and five podium finishes.

World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway was not on the schedule in the 2016 season, which was the most recent season during which any of these drivers failed to have success at Pocono Raceway. Rossi, a rookie at the time, and Pagenaud both crashed while Newgarden finished in fourth place ahead of Dixon in sixth.

Pocono Raceway was added to the schedule in the 2013 season. Prior to the 2016 season, Newgarden, Pagenaud and Dixon each competed at the track in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons. They recorded a collective average finish of 5.44 with no finishes outside of the top nine. They collected one victory (Dixon in 2013) and four top five finishes.

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Will any one of the four 2019 IndyCar championship contenders be able to set themselves apart from the other three over the course of this three-week stint of races heading into the season finale?

The first of these races is the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. This race is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, August 18, and it is scheduled to get underway shortly thereafter at 2:45 p.m. ET.