By: Victor Genova

Double points are up for grabs at the final race of the season! The IndyCar championship comes down to the wire as four drivers vie for the Astor Cup. We preview the Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Can Scott Dixon bag championship number five? Alexander Rossi refers to Scott Dixon as the ‘guy who never has a bad day’. It’s true. Every time things go off the rails, Dixon seems to race his way out of trouble. Case-in-point: His 5th place finish in Portland after getting caught up in a first lap accident. Dixon knows his way around Sonoma, and is tied with Will Power for the most IndyCar wins there at three.

Can Alexander Rossi clinch? It’s in Rossi’s best interest to come out of the gate swinging. Points for pole and fastest lap will all help close his 29 point gap over Dixon, but he’ll need to win and hope Dixon isn’t too close behind to win his first IndyCar championship.

Can Team Penske pull-off an upset? It’s going to be tough for Josef Newgarden to #defendthe1. Like his teammate, Will Power, he’s going to need to dominate the race. Not only that, but he needs both Dixon and Rossi to have their share of bad luck. I’m not talking about a 6th or 7th place finish; they need to be further towards the back of grid. Because of the deficit, expect Team Penske to get crafty with race strategy. Looking for a full breakdown of all the mathematical possibilities? Racer.com’s Marshall Pruett has you covered.

TrackTalk’s pick for the championship? Rossi is correct- Dixon doesn’t have a bad day. Not only that, but he fired the first warning shot by setting the unofficial fastest lap in Thursday’s test. We think Dixon is likely to take championship number five on Sunday. 

Harding Racing changes drivers, expands to two cars: Harding Racing will have two new drivers this weekend. Recently crowned Indy Lights champion, Pato O’Ward, and Indy Lights runner-up, Colton Herta, will both make their IndyCar series debuts for Harding at Sonoma. While their 2019 plans are still TBA, O’Ward’s Indy Lights championship win guarantees funding for the 2019 Indy 500 and two other races.

Victor Genova is a freelance motorsports writer and the host & founder of the Media People Podcast. You can follow him on Instagram @vicgenova