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IndyCar Power Rankings: Josef Newgarden crowned, Colton Herta shines

By Asher Fair

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Josef Newgarden #2 of United States and Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet celebrates after winning the 2019 season championship during the NTT IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on September 22, 2019 in Monterey, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Josef Newgarden #2 of United States and Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet celebrates after winning the 2019 season championship during the NTT IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on September 22, 2019 in Monterey, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Josef Newgarden #2 of United States and Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Josef Newgarden #2 of United States and Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

How do the final IndyCar Driver Power Rankings of the 2019 season look following Josef Newgarden’s championship and Colton Herta’s victory?

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden secured his second career IndyCar championship in Sunday’s 2019 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but it was Harding Steinbrenner Racing rookie Colton Herta who doubled his career win total by dominating this race, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, from start to finish.

How did Herta’s victory 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 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

Just a few races ago, Colton Herta was down in 16th place in the championship standings. In the season finale, he shot from 13th to seventh.

The 19-year-old Valencia, California native even had an abysmal stretch that lasted for nearly half the season. During this stretch, a seven-race span, he recorded just three top 22 finishes and failed to finish a single race in the top 11. His average finish during this span was 20.71, and an average of 24.29 drivers competed in these seven races. He finished last three times in a four-race span.

Again, he still finished in seventh place in the championship standings, and he was rewarded accordingly in these rankings.

As for the #1 spot in these rankings, on any other occasion I would agree based on how the formula for these rankings is set up. But this week, the formula got it wrong. Josef Newgarden is the champion, so despite his eighth place finish in the season finale, the lowest finish among the four championship contenders, he deserved to be ranked #1.

But who ended up #1 to close out the season?

Now let’s get started with the rankings.