Beyond the Flag
Fansided

IndyCar: Early 2020 power rankings; a new champion?

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Takuma Sato of Japan, driver of the #30 ABeam Consulting Honda, races Scott Dixon of New Zealand, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, at the start of the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Takuma Sato of Japan, driver of the #30 ABeam Consulting Honda, races Scott Dixon of New Zealand, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, at the start of the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 12: Pato O’Ward, driver of the #5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 12: Pato O’Ward, driver of the #5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

#14 and #13

. No. 7. Arrow McLaren SP, Chevrolet. OLIVER ASKEW. #14

Just copy and paste the Road to Indy blurb about Rinus VeeKay here, eliminate 2018 Pro Mazda champion and add 2017 U.S. F2000 champion and 2019 Indy Lights champion. In fact, Oliver Askew’s third place finish in the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship is the only non-top two finish among these two rookies over the last three years. Askew, like VeeKay, is a rare breed in modern-day IndyCar, so the fact that both drivers are set to ascend to the sport’s highest level together is quite the accomplishment. The 23-year-old Floridian is poised for success in his rookie year driving for Arrow McLaren SP.

Arrow McLaren SP, Chevrolet. PATRICIO O'WARD. #13. . No. 5

Patricio O’Ward is the only driver who has consistently made Carlin look like something other than the least competitive team in IndyCar since they entered the series in 2018, aside of his failed Indianapolis 500 attempt in 2019. He only competed in seven races for the team in 2019, but he recorded four top nine qualifying efforts and finished in eighth place in his team debut, this coming after an impressive series debut in the 2018 season finale in which he qualified in fifth and finished in ninth for Harding Racing. Now set to drive for Arrow McLaren SP, an established mid-pack team that should be more resourceful than ever thanks to their new partnership with McLaren, O’Ward should be quick again in 2020.