IndyCar: Simon Pagenaud’s 2019 road/street championship-clinching scenarios
By Asher Fair
How can 2019 IndyCar oval champion Simon Pagenaud also become the road and street course champion in the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey?
The Mario Andretti Road Course Trophy and the A.J. Foyt Oval Trophy may not be awarded anymore, but IndyCar individual discipline champions still exist unofficially.
The oval champion for the 2019 season has already been crowned, but the road and street course champion is set to be crowned in this Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the 17th and final race on this year’s schedule.
A total of 24 drivers are set to compete in this 90-lap race around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile (3.602-kilometer) WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca natural terrain road course in Monterey, California.
Because this is a double points-paying race in which bonus points are not doubled, between 12 and 104 points are on the table for each driver. As a result, six drivers are still mathematically eligible to win the 2019 IndyCar road and street course championship.
One of these six drivers happens to be 2016 road and street course champion and 2019 oval champion Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske.
Here is how these six drivers stack up against one another in the road and street course championship standings.
Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Engine: Points (Behind)
1st – Scott Dixon, #9, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda: 375 (0)
2nd – Alexander Rossi, #27, Andretti Autosport, Honda: 372 (-3)
3rd – Josef Newgarden, #2, Team Penske, Chevrolet: 363 (-12)
4th – Simon Pagenaud, #22, Team Penske, Chevrolet: 309 (-66)
5th – Will Power, #12, Team Penske, Chevrolet: 306 (-69)
6th – Felix Rosenqvist, #10, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda: 292 (-83)
So far this season, Dixon, Rossi and Newgarden have each won two road or street course races while Pagenaud and Power have each won one and Rosenqvist hasn’t won any. Road and street course race victory totals serve as the tiebreaker while second place finishes serve as the second tiebreaker, third place finishes serve as the third tiebreaker, etc.
Here is how Pagenaud can become the 2019 IndyCar road and street course champion.
NOTE: Bonus points (aside of the guaranteed +1 for the race winner) are not factored into this list.
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Team Penske Chevrolet
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With a win…
- Pagenaud will have 410 points
- Scott Dixon must finish in 13th place (409 points) or lower
- Alexander Rossi must finish in 12th place (408 points) or lower
- Josef Newgarden must finish in ninth place (407 points) or lower
With a 2nd place finish…
- Pagenaud will have 389 points
- Dixon must finish in 24th place (387 points)
- Rossi must finish in 22nd place (388 points) or lower
- Newgarden must finish in 18th place (387 points) or lower
- Will Power must finish in third place (376 points) or lower
- Felix Rosenqvist must finish in third place (362 points) or lower.
With a 3rd place finish…
- Pagenaud cannot win the road and street course championship
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Will it be Simon Pagenaud who is crowned 2019 IndyCar road and street course champion when the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey comes to an end on Sunday, September 22 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca? Tune in to NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of this race, which is scheduled to go green shortly thereafter at 3:00 p.m. ET.