IndyCar ends 21-race streak before Road America
By Asher Fair
A 21-race streak was brought to an end in the NTT IndyCar Series ahead of this Sunday’s REV Group Grand Prix at Road America.
Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward became the first driver to win multiple races in the 2021 IndyCar season by winning this past Sunday’s race at Belle Isle Street Circuit, the second race of the weekend and the eighth race of the season. He secured his first win of the year, and of his career, in early May at Texas Motor Speedway.
O’Ward entered Sunday’s race in second place in the championship standings, 15 points behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou. Palou finished the race in third, and O’Ward overtook him in the standings by one point because of it.
light. Must Read. The Tom Brady effect takes IndyCar by storm
Rank – Driver: Points (Behind)
1 – Pato O’Ward – 299 (0)
2 – Alex Palou – 298 (-1)
3 – Scott Dixon – 263 (-36)
4 – Josef Newgarden – 248 (-51)
As a result, for the second time this season, IndyCar has a driver atop the standings who had never sat atop the standings before.
The first was Palou, who led the standings after the first two and four of the first seven races of the year.
Before 2021, IndyCar hadn’t seen a driver take the lead of the standings for the first time in his career since Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi took the lead after winning the race on the streets of Long Beach, California in April 2018.
Additionally, this marks the first time that Chip Ganassi Racing haven’t had a driver leading the standings since Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won his second championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in September 2019.
More from IndyCar
- IndyCar: Two teams with no drivers confirmed for 2024
- IndyCar: Chip Ganassi Racing news hints Alex Palou announcement
- IndyCar: ‘Addition by subtraction’ could pay off in a big way
- Team Penske should make a bold driver signing for 2024
- IndyCar: 5 teams that still have open seats for 2024
Scott Dixon won the 2020 season opener at Texas Motor Speedway and led the standings after each of the season’s 14 races en route to winning his sixth championship, becoming the first driver to lead the standings throughout an entire season since Sam Hornish Jr. won the first of his three titles in 2001.
Palou opened up the 2021 season by winning at Barber Motorsports Park, and he led the standings after the second race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. He was then overtaken for the lead by Dixon, who led after the next three races: two at Texas Motor Speedway and one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Palou retook the lead after the Indy 500, and he maintained it after the first race of the doubleheader at Belle Isle Street Circuit.
Now the lead belongs to O’Ward, giving Chevrolet their first lead in 22 races and ending a 21-race streak of Chip Ganassi Racing and Honda leading the way.
Interestingly, Honda haven’t had a non-Chip Ganassi Racing driver leading the standings since after the first race at Belle Isle Street Circuit in June 2018, when Rossi led the way. That drought is still ongoing at 49.
The top non-Chip Ganassi Racing Honda driver in the standings through eight races on the 2021 schedule is Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal in eighth place, so this streak could very well continue for quite some time.
Next. Top 25 IndyCar drivers of all-time. dark
Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 12:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 20 for the live broadcast of the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America.