IndyCar Power Rankings: Josef Newgarden reaffirms, Alexander Rossi closes

Asher Fair

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)

SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Will Power, driver of the #12 Team Penske Chevrolet (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

Will Power earned his second victory in the last three races by winning the Grand Prix of Portland. How did this race affect the IndyCar Driver Power Rankings?

After starting the 2019 IndyCar season winless in the first 13 races, Team Penske’s Will Power has now been to victory lane twice. He secured his second victory of the season by winning the season’s penultimate race at Portland International Raceway, the Grand Prix of Portland.

How did Power’s victory in this 105-lap race around the 12-turn, 1.967-mile (3.166-kilometer) Portland International Raceway natural terrain road course in Portland, Oregon affect the IndyCar Driver Power Rankings?

These IndyCar Driver Power Rankings were calculated using a formula, which you can see here. But before they are revealed, take a look below at some of the highlights of this edition of these rankings.

Alternatively, click here to get started.

IndyCar Driver Power Rankings Analysis

After Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud shot to the top of these rankings following his fifth place finish and teammate Josef Newgarden’s seventh place finish in the race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the two drivers swapped positions in the Grand Prix of Portland even after both were involved in a first-lap wreck.

As a result, they also swapped positions in these rankings, as the points leader has retaken the top spot heading into the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Newgarden’s lead in the championship standings to second place increased after this race, but only because the driver who now sits in second didn’t sit in second heading into the race. That driver, Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi, actually closed his gap to Newgarden with his third place finish in this race.

Rossi also moved up by one position in these rankings, as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who is technically still a championship contender, saw what appeared to be a sure victory turn into a 16th place finish due to a mechanical issue. Mechanical issues have now robbed him of solid results in two consecutive races. Are his title hopes gone for the year?

Now let’s get started with the rankings.

SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 15: Marco Andretti, driver of the Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Honda (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

#19 through #16

Last Rank: 19th (-)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 2
Top 5 finishes: 1
Podium finishes: 0
Wins: 0
Average finish: 16.75
Average finish in last five races: 14.60
Most recent finish: 8th
Points in most recent race: 24
Standings position: 19th
Points: 235

Last Rank: 17th (-1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 3
Top 5 finishes: 0
Podium finishes: 0
Wins: 0
Average finish: 15.63
Average finish in last five races: 15.40
Most recent finish: 22nd
Points in most recent race: 8
Standings position: 18th
Points: 247

Last Rank: 18th (+1)
Races: 15
Top 10 finishes: 3
Top 5 finishes: 1
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 0
Average finish: 15.07
Average finish in last five races: 16.40
Most recent finish: N/A
Points in most recent race: 0
Standings position: 17th
Points: 252

Last Rank: 16th (-)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 5
Top 5 finishes: 0
Podium finishes: 0
Wins: 0
Average finish: 14.00
Average finish in last five races: 14.80
Most recent finish: 13th
Points in most recent race: 17
Standings position: 16th
Points: 271

SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 15: Graham Rahal, driver of the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

#15 through #11

Last Rank: 12th (-3)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 7
Top 5 finishes: 1
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 0
Average finish: 12.50
Average finish in last five races: 15.40
Most recent finish: 20th
Points in most recent race: 10
Standings position: 12th
Points: 326

Last Rank: 15th (+1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 4
Top 5 finishes: 1
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 0
Average finish: 14.81
Average finish in last five races: 10.60
Most recent finish: 12th
Points in most recent race: 18
Standings position: 15th
Points: 276

Last Rank: 14th (+1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 5
Top 5 finishes: 2
Podium finishes: 0
Wins: 0
Average finish: 12.88
Average finish in last five races: 11.20
Most recent finish: 6th
Points in most recent race: 28
Standings position: 14th
Points: 315

Last Rank: 13th (+1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 7
Top 5 finishes: 2
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 1
Average finish: 14.00
Average finish in last five races: 11.00
Most recent finish: 4th
Points in most recent race: 34
Standings position: 13th
Points: 316

Last Rank: 7th (-4)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 11
Top 5 finishes: 4
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 0
Average finish: 11.00
Average finish in last five races: 13.40
Most recent finish: 23rd
Points in most recent race: 7
Standings position: 9th
Points: 353

SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Ed Jones of the United Arab Emirates driver of the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda during practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series Sonoma Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway on September 14, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

#10 through #6

Last Rank: 10th (-)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 7
Top 5 finishes: 4
Podium finishes: 4
Wins: 2
Average finish: 11.94
Average finish in last five races: 15.20
Most recent finish: 15th
Points in most recent race: 15
Standings position: 6th
Points: 397

Last Rank: 11th (+2)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 8
Top 5 finishes: 2
Podium finishes: 1
Wins: 0
Average finish: 11.69
Average finish in last five races: 11.00
Most recent finish: 9th
Points in most recent race: 23
Standings position: 11th
Points: 335

Last Rank: 6th (-2)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 7
Top 5 finishes: 3
Podium finishes: 0
Wins: 0
Average finish: 12.13
Average finish in last five races: 9.80
Most recent finish: 17th
Points in most recent race: 13
Standings position: 10th
Points: 339

Last Rank: 8th (+1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 9
Top 5 finishes: 6
Podium finishes: 2
Wins: 0
Average finish: 10.63
Average finish in last five races: 13.00
Most recent finish: 18th
Points in most recent race: 12
Standings position: 7th
Points: 380

Last Rank: 9th (+3)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 9
Top 5 finishes: 5
Podium finishes: 2
Wins: 0
Average finish: 11.06
Average finish in last five races: 10.20
Most recent finish: 2nd
Points in most recent race: 41
Standings position: 8th
Points: 365

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MAY 24: Josef Newgarden of USA, driver of the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

#5 through #1

Last Rank: 5th (-)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 10
Top 5 finishes: 7
Podium finishes: 5
Wins: 2
Average finish: 9.38
Average finish in last five races: 8.60
Most recent finish: 1st
Points in most recent race: 53
Standings position: 5th
Points: 469

Last Rank: 3rd (-1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 10
Top 5 finishes: 10
Podium finishes: 9
Wins: 2
Average finish: 7.94
Average finish in last five races: 8.20
Most recent finish: 16th
Points in most recent race: 15
Standings position: 4th
Points: 508

Last Rank: 4th (+1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 13
Top 5 finishes: 11
Podium finishes: 7
Wins: 2
Average finish: 6.38
Average finish in last five races: 9.00
Most recent finish: 3rd
Points in most recent race: 35
Standings position: 2nd
Points: 552

Last Rank: 1st (-1)
Races: 16
Top 10 finishes: 14
Top 5 finishes: 6
Podium finishes: 4
Wins: 3
Average finish: 6.69
Average finish in last five races: 5.00
Most recent finish: 7th
Points in most recent race: 26
Standings position: 3rd
Points: 551