IndyCar: This parity statistic through two races is absolutely mind-blowing

We knew that there was going to be parity throughout the 2021 IndyCar season. But did anybody expect these kinds of numbers just two races into the year?

After Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou got the 2021 IndyCar season off to a hot start by securing his first career win in his first start behind the wheel of the #10 Honda at Barber Motorsports Park, it was Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta who followed that up with a dominant win of his own on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the fourth of his career.

Two winners through two races of an IndyCar season is nothing special. The only time it hasn’t happened in the last 11 seasons was last year, when Scott Dixon won the season’s first three events. Prior to that, it hadn’t happened since Will Power won the first two races in 2010.

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But it would surprise nobody if that two turns into a three, and so on, all the way until we break the record of 11 before or during the season’s 17th and final race on the streets of Long Beach, California in late September.

What else would surprise nobody? If we end up with multiple drivers in championship contention by the time the final rolls around.

Through two races, the championship standings look like something we have never seen before. Before we go into why these standings are so special, take a look at them below.

Rank – Driver: Points (Behind)
1 – Alex Palou – 67 (0)
2 – Will Power – 65 (-2)
2 – Scott Dixon – 65 (-2)
4 – Colton Herta – 62 (-5)
5 – Simon Pagenaud – 54 (-13)
6 – Sebastien Bourdais – 51 (-16)
6 – Rinus VeeKay – 51 (-16)
6 – Jack Harvey – 51 (-16)
9 – Marcus Ericsson – 50 (-17)
10 – Josef Newgarden – 47 (-20)
11 – Pato O’Ward – 45 (-22)
11 – Takuma Sato – 45 (-22)
13 – Graham Rahal – 41 (-26)
14 – Romain Grosjean – 37 (-30)
15 – Scott McLaughlin – 35 (-32)
16 – Alexander Rossi – 31 (-36)
17 – Conor Daly – 28 (-39)
18 – Felix Rosenqvist – 27 (-40)
19 – Ed Jones – 25 (-42)
19 – James Hinchcliffe – 25 (-42)
21 – Ryan Hunter-Reay – 22 (-45)
22 – Dalton Kellett – 19 (-48)
22 – Jimmie Johnson – 19 (-48)
24 – Max Chilton – 16 (-51)48

To put this in perspective, after the 2019 season’s second race, 40 points was the gap from the points leader to the driver in fourth place. After the 2020 season’s second race, it was the gap from the points leader to the driver in third.

This year, that gap covers every single driver inside the top 18.

Here’s where it gets even crazier.

And as a byproduct of that, every single gap from any driver inside the top 16 to the leader is the all-time record as far as being lowest.

Take a second to wrap your head around that.

For example, Palou leads Josef Newgarden in 10th place by 20 points. That gap of 20 points is the lowest ever gap between the first and 10th place drivers after two races.

The same can be said for every other margin inside the top 16, although there are two ties. In 2012, the distance from the points leader to the second place driver was also two points, and in 2018, the distance from the points leader to the sixth place driver was also 16 points.

The reason this only extends to the top 16 is because of 2008. From a three-way tie for 16th place down to 24th, there are six gaps that were smaller than they are in 2021, as well as one other tie.

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The third and fourth races of the 2021 IndyCar season are scheduled to take place at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. The Genesys 300 is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday evening, and the XPEL 375 is set to be broadcast live on the same network beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday evening.

IndyCar: This parity statistic is absolutely mind-blowing

By Asher Fair | Apr 27, 2021

We knew that there was going to be parity throughout the 2021 IndyCar season. But did anybody expect these kinds of numbers just two races into the year?

What else would surprise nobody? If we end up with multiple drivers in championship contention by the time the final rolls around.

And as a byproduct of that, every single gap from any driver inside the top 16 to the leader is the all-time record as far as being lowest.