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: Graham Rahal, driver of the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 12: Graham Rahal, driver of the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

#12 and #11

#12. . No. 8. Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda. MARCUS ERICSSON

Marcus Ericsson was the least impressive of the four rookies of the 2019 full-time rookie class, irrespective of the fact that he was the only one who missed a race and thus could not score points in all 17 events. However, upon learning that a return to Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (now Arrow McLaren SP) was unlikely, he and his team worked to strike a deal with Chip Ganassi Racing to bring back their third car, the #8 Honda, for the first time in three years. This is by far the best opportunity that the former Sauber Formula 1 driver has had in a competitive open-wheel ride.

#11. . No. 15. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda. GRAHAM RAHAL

After winning two races in a 24-hour span back in early June of 2017 on the street of Belle Isle, Graham Rahal has been winless. He hasn’t gone this long without a victory since he went more than seven years without one from 2008 to 2015, and the 2019 season, despite the fact that he was about as consistent as possible throughout much of the year without finding victory lane with eight consecutive top nine finishes and 10 in an 11-race span, resulted in his worst finish in the championship standings (10th) since he finished in 19th back in 2014. It also marked the first season in which he had been beaten by a teammate during his seven-year tenure at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, although it was only his third season with a full-time teammate within the organization.