Josef Newgarden roars his way to another win, Pocono winner Will Power finds the wall on lap one, and Simon Pagenaud gets a love tap from a teammate. We review the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 and preview IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen on this week’s edition of #TrackTalk.
Josef Newgarden’s championship to lose: Josef Newgarden’s series leading 4th win of the season (and his 6th podium in the last eight races) has put him in a commanding lead of the championship. With double points of up for grabs at Sonoma, you can be certain he won’t leave anything to chance at Watkins Glen as he looks to pad his points lead. Need a reminder as to how aggressive Newgarden can be? Have a look at him pushing his way by teammate Simon Pagenaud for the lead at Gateway.
Mixed luck for Will Power: A commanding win at Pocono was followed up with a first-lap crash at Gateway. I don’t want to say that Will Power’s championship hopes are dashed, but not even Sonoma’s double points can save him if he doesn’t deliver a win this weekend at Watkins Glen.
And don’t forget about Helio Castroneves: A 4th place finish has the three-time Indy 500 champion sitting 3rd in points. A win or solid finish at Watkins Glen could move him within striking distance of Newgarden going into Sonoma
And speaking of Watkins Glen: Watch out for Scott Dixon. We’re quick to celebrate his prowess around Mid-Ohio, but if there’s another track Dixon has mastered it’s Watkins Glen. A four-time winner of the race (more than any other IndyCar driver) and sitting 2nd in points, Dixon has the best chance at catching Newgarden. With only one victory this season, Dixon will have to put the hammer down for the final two races.
And speaking of Chip Ganassi Racing: If the rumours are true, then Dixon might be the only Ganassi driver returning next season. The last two races haven’t been good to either Tony Kanaan or Max Chilton- with both being parkedrespectively at Gateway and Pocono. Chilton all but said he wasn’t coming back next season over the radio in Pocono, and there have been a number of rumours about Kanaan’s future with the team. Throw in questions about Charlie Kimball’s status for 2018, and Chip Ganassi Racing could look a whole lot different.
Kyle Kaiser- Future Indy Lights champion and IndyCar driver: Indy Lights point’s leader, Kyle Kaiser, only needs to start Sunday’s Watkins Glen finale to clinch the 2017 championship. With that pretty much settled, all attention will be on which team Kaiser will be driving for in 2018. The Indy Lights champion gets a $1 million Mazda Road to Indy bonus to put towards an IndyCar ride, which includes a chance to qualify for the 2018 Indy 500.
Victor Genova is the host of the Media People Podcast and a freelance racing writer. You can follow him on Twitter at @VicGenova