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I write this letter with an impossibly heavy heart.

For the last five years this website has meant the world to me, and I’ve given it my all. Under the vision and direction of Paul and me, it morphed from a simple IndyCar blog to a legitimate source of news, statistics, entertainment and more that spanned the entire IndyCar development ladder in as fan-focused a way as we could muster.

Sadly, it seems the old adage is true that all good things must eventually end.

I’ll be up front: it was me who initiated this process, though it took months of heart-wrenching internal debate. I had hoped that Paul, John and Bash might be able to carry the torch without me, but Paul has quite rightly decided to turn his attention to work and family after determining that he can’t commit to maintaining MFW at the level it has come to deserve.

I thank him for being honest about that. I think we all agree we would rather go out at the top of our game than let what we’ve built wither and die under neglect.

For me, as much as I’ve invested my heart and soul into this site, I’ve known deep down for a while now that the time has come to move on. Some of you know that I’m one of the lucky ones who has managed to turn my passion into a somewhat respectable career (if I dare say so myself) at home in Canada as a motorsport and automotive journalist. These days I’m a regular contributor to the Wheels section of the Toronto Star, Canada’s most widely distributed newspaper, and I also write occasionally for PRN Ignition and other outlets. I was recently accepted as a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. To use a worn cliché, I truly am living the dream.

But along that same vein, I’m called upon to know about and write about a lot more in motorsport than IndyCar these days, and so for me MFW has turned into a bit of a pigeonhole gazing out over the open sky. I’ve known for some time that I need to expand and diversify to permit myself to grow and be the best I can be at my work.

So, to reiterate more succinctly: I am not leaving motorsport. Heck, you’ll probably find that I’m not even really leaving IndyCar. I’m in the process of exploring potential avenues for new projects right now, and I expect to have news by the new calendar year as to exactly where those roads will take me.

In the meantime, while preparing to say this goodbye I’ve been reflecting a great deal on the many gifts that More Front Wing has given me over these past five years. It goes without saying that without this site I wouldn’t be in my current career, but it’s not so widely known that I also wouldn’t have my husband or my daughter with me today were it not for this site and my passion for open-wheel racing. Immersing myself in all that MFW entails has indelibly shaped my life and allowed it to blossom from lost loneliness into the joy it currently holds. For that, I will be eternally thankful.

I’m also extremely grateful for the vast support we’ve received from the IndyCar Nation, both from inside the series and on the fan side. Many of IndyCar’s biggest fans started out as complete strangers to us but have turned into honest-to-goodness friends. It’s amazing how racing brings like-minded people together, and I look forward to continuing to interact with many of you throughout and after this transition.

I also want to say a specific thank you to Mike Silver, who supported us not only in morale but also financially as we attempted to monetize the site last year. That a fellow IndyCar fan was willing to invest in us so deeply meant an enormous amount to us. In spite of this news, Mike, I hope we did you proud.

And, of course, I’m most grateful for my co-conspirators here at MFW. It was an honor to work alongside John Lingle in the media center in Houston these past two years and to play a small supporting role as he released the book that is his pride and joy, Hard Luck Lloyd.

In Bash I met a deeply kindred spirit who is as happy to geek out at 2 AM her time (that’s 5 AM to my Eastern self!) about racing as she is about science fiction as long as it’s over a glass of wine (but only one), and I have little doubt that the pilgrimage to San Francisco and the Sonoma Valley will quickly become an annual tradition.

And then there’s Paul. When we first met back at Homestead in 2009 – thanks to that little blue backpack with the Canadian flag patch on it – we were so vastly different it was laughable. I don’t think either one of us had any idea of how much we would fundamentally influence each other’s viewpoints over time. I’m so grateful for the years we spent as co-editors here, getting yelled at in media centers for having too much fun and recording our blithering foolishness on Skype and various Toronto balconies. You’ve given me memories for a lifetime, my friend, and I hope that though the context may change we still have many, many more to come.

There is a great deal of change in the works for the next few months, but one thing is already certain: we’ll miss this thing terribly.

But on the other hand, the more things change, the more they stay the same. After all, you just know that Paul and I won’t be able to keep ourselves from arguing about IndyCar on Twitter.

Until next time, race fans. It’s been a slice.

See you at the front.

– Steph

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Every once in a while, some people are fortunate and blessed enough to be involved in a project they never thought could happen. So it has been for me since July 2009 when I first started working with Planet-IRL, the precursor to what would become More Front Wing.

To say I consider myself lucky to have been part of this experience would be a massive understatement. It has honestly been the fulfillment of a dream. But dreams don’t last forever, and the time has come that More Front Wing is best left to our memories.

When Steph told me she needed to step away to focus on her career aspirations, I knew it was time for me to step away as well. It is a decision I had been wrestling with for quite some time anyway, and now it is clear that the time is right. I could have kept the site going for a while longer, likely bringing on a few more friends to try to replace the gigantic hole left by Steph, but unfortunately life has just demanded too much of my time and energy to continue with the site properly.

Since we re-launched in August 2010, More Front Wing has had a special way of doing things. We have always held ourselves to the very highest standards of content, presentation, and professionalism. I simply don’t have the time or energy to uphold the gold standard that Steph has set for us.

And quite honestly, I just didn’t want to go on without Steph. From the very night she and I spent hours upon hours at a Starbucks in downtown Toronto during the 2010 race weekend painstakingly planning out exactly what we wanted to do with our new site, we have been side by side through this. We have been blessed to have some truly fantastic contributors to our site whom we are extremely proud and grateful to have worked with, and I thank each of them from the bottom of my heart. But More Front Wing has always been a bit of the Paul-and-Steph show. This has been our baby that we build from the ground up, something that I know we are both extremely proud of, and something that I just don’t think would work without the entirety of its pieces. Going on without Steph is like Queen going on without Freddie Mercury – you can play the same music but results just aren’t the same.

Part of the chemistry of MFW was the dichotomy of our views. We are opposite in every conceivable way expect one – we both love the sport of IndyCar racing. Those differences of opinions, largely resulting from the gardens in which our racing seeds were sown, made us work naturally as a team. It’s not as straightforward as simply plugging another person in.

We are not shutting the lights off at MFW because of any animosity between Steph and me. Steph needed to leave MFW behind to focus on her journalism career, and I realized it was time for me to take a break as well. I completely understand why she needed to do so, and I wholeheartedly support her decision. Steph is the type of person who makes everyone around her better, and I know she has made me better over the last five years of working with her. Maybe in some small way I helped her as well. Even though we occasionally drive each other crazy (as happens with any personal or professional relationship), I have, I do, and I always will consider Steph a very good friend. I could not be more proud of her, and I wish her nothing but the very best as she continues to work to claim her rightful place among the best of motorsports journalists.

As for me, I’m not sure what the future holds for me in terms of the Verizon IndyCar Series. My goal all along had been to see this through the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, so you might see my name associated with another site by the time the 2015 IndyCar season takes off. I will look at this time, though, as a good opportunity to recharge my batteries and my IndyCar fandom. I don’t need to tell any readers of this site that being an IndyCar fan can be challenging at times, and trying to bring some of IndyCar’s biggest and best stories and personalities to our fans has presented many other challenges. But IndyCar racing has been in my blood since I was seven years old. Nothing I’ve done and nothing I’ve seen has changed that.

There are way too many people to thank that have made this website the success it has been. All the drivers, team owners and managers, PR personnel, and officials from INDYCAR have had a hand in helping us get to where we are. On the INDYCAR side, though, I want to specifically mention the people who were always gracious with their time, who bent over backward to help us out, and who were always willing to ensure that a fan site with a tiny fraction of the reach of the bigger news outlets was given equal access. Special thanks go to Arni Sribhen, Kate Guerra, Amy Konrath, Tracey (Todd) Iles, Mark Miles, Randy Bernard, Brian Barnhart, and IMS’s Tim Sullivan. We could not have done what we did without the help of each of these people, and we are eternally grateful for each of them for letting us play in their sandbox.

Five years with a website like this is a long time. In that time, we have seen many IndyCar websites come and go. I’m proud to still call several of the people who ran or run those websites my good friends. I don’t take lightly the incredible opportunity that was afforded us, nor do I fail to see the great work that we did. I am so very proud of the 112 podcasts and countless interviews we put together that totaled nearly 75,000 downloads. The event summaries that we put together since 2012 have set the standard for accessing IndyCar race weekend information in a single location. Our 2011 Indianapolis 500 Centennial Interview Series, the work I am most proud of from my time here at MFW, presented 21 of the 27 (at that time) living Indianapolis 500 winners, accounting for 37 victories since 1962. For a site that was supported entirely on our own as a “hobby,” I’d like to think we did pretty well for ourselves.

But all that we did, all we accomplished, and all the opportunities we were blessed to be a part of would have been useless, or more likely nonexistent, without the support of the fans of the Verizon IndyCar Series. I know it sounds cliché, but I truly appreciate and am grateful for every single person who sent us messages, sent us emails, tweeted at us, stopped us at the track to say hello, who listened to a podcast, who read a post on the site, who commented to us on the site or on Facebook, or who in any way offered their support. Without people reading or listening, we simply would not have been able to have the opportunities we had. For that, I simply offer my sincerest thanks.

And with that, I close the chapter of my life called More Front Wing. It has been an incredible journey and one that I will forever look back on fondly. It has been a time of personal and professional changes, and I am blessed to have been able to share it with all of you.

God Speed, my friends.

– Paul

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (September 29, 2014) – After intense deliberations, Aaron Telitz of Birchwood, Wis., and Michai Stephens of Evanston, Ill., today have been named as winners of prestigious Team USA Scholarships for 2014. The pair will travel to England next month to carry the patriotic red, white and blue colors in the traditional Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 25/26 and Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 1/2.

They were chosen from a group of six candidates who took part in a shootout aboard Allen Berg Racing Schools FR1600 cars at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on September 8. The other finalists were Ben Auriemma, from Manhasset, N.Y., Tristan DeGrand, from St. Louis, Mo., Garth Rickards, from Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Kenton Koch, from Glendora, Calif.

The panel of judges included former Team USA Scholarship winners Neil Alberico and Brett Smrz; two-time Rolex Sports Car Series champion Alex Gurney; ex-F1 driver Allen Berg; David Cook, Business Development Manager, Mazda North American Operations; veteran IndyCar/Indy Lights team owner Jack McCormack; RACER Magazine founder Paul Pfanner; accomplished race engineer Geoff Fickling; and World Speed Motorsports team owner Telo Stewart.

“It was a difficult decision and there were many factors which needed to be taken into account,” said Team USA Scholarship President Jeremy Shaw, who founded the program in 1990. “All of the six candidates can be proud of their efforts; each has what it takes to forge a successful career in this sport. I want to thank my fellow judges for their considerable input and everyone within the North American racing industry for making this program possible.”

Telitz, who won rookie-of-the-year honors in the 2014 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, and Stephens, a standout from the Skip Barber Racing School Summer Series, will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jimmy Vasser, who secured the first Team USA Scholarship in 1990, Bryan Herta (1991), Buddy Rice (1997), Andy Lally (1999), A.J. Allmendinger (2001), Charlie Kimball (2003), J.R. Hildebrand (2005), Dane Cameron (2006), Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly (2008), Spencer Pigot (2010/2011), and Tristan Nunez and Matthew Brabham (2012).

“It is a huge honor and achievement to be chosen as a winner of the Team USA Scholarship,” said Telitz. “Not only do I now have the opportunity to race in Europe, I get to do it representing the United States of America. If you look at the history of previous winners of the Team USA Scholarship you’ll see there are some big shoes to fill. I look forward to the challenge and learning as much as I can during this awesome experience.”

“Being selected to represent the Team USA Scholarship in 2014 is mind-boggling to me,” added Stephens. “I will forever cherish this honor with the understanding that with great opportunity comes greater responsibility. I encourage everyone who has a vision to go out there and take it! My dream will be taking me as far away from my home as anyone in my family has ever gone. I look forward to taking full advantage of this opportunity and the many others that may lie ahead.”

MOORESVILLE, NC (September 29, 2014) – Team Penske announced today that race-winning driver and perennial championship contender Simon Pagenaud will join its ranks beginning with the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The 30-year-old Pagenaud is a four-time race winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series and one of the most sought-after talents in open-wheel racing. Under the terms of a multi-year agreement with Team Penske, Pagenaud will drive the Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet beginning next season. With today’s announcement, the most successful program in the history of North American open-wheel racing will field a formidable four-car lineup moving forward.

After finishing among the top five in the championship standings each of the last three seasons, Pagenaud has established himself as one of the top drivers competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The native of Poitiers, France earned two wins, one pole, three podium finishes and eight top-five results in 2014 while finishing fifth in the title chase.

“Simon Pagenaud is a very talented, focused and determined driver,” said Roger Penske, whose team won the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series title with driver Will Power. “We know how tough he has been to compete with over the last few seasons and we are very happy to welcome him to Team Penske starting in 2015. With Simon coming on board to join Will, Helio (Castroneves) and Juan (Montoya), we feel we have four drivers very capable of winning on any given weekend and four guys who are legitimate championship contenders.”

Pagenaud joins Team Penske with a championship history. He won the Champ Car Atlantic Series open-wheel title as a rookie in 2006 and he produced four wins en route to the American Le Mans Series sports car LMP1 crown in 2010. With a diverse background that includes racing in the European Formula Renault series, Pagenaud has also excelled in sports car competition with starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona on his resume.

“Getting a chance to race for Team Penske is almost like a dream to me,” said Pagenaud. “I have always admired the team and everything that Roger Penske has accomplished in racing. I am so excited to become a part of Team Penske and I can’t wait for the 2015 season to start.”

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, September 18, 2014) – INDYCAR announced today it is returning to Brazil next season and will sanction a Verizon IndyCar Series event at Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet in the capital city of Brasília during the 2015 season. Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles and Maruska Souza Holanda, President of Terracap, a government-owned company that owns the racetrack, made the joint announcement from Brasília today. The Brasília Indy will be held on March 8, 2015.

“We’re eager to continue INDYCAR’s rich history of racing in Brazil with today’s announcement of a Verizon IndyCar Series event in Brasília next season,” Miles said. “This event is an instrumental step in the growth of INDYCAR as we continue to execute our strategy of adding race markets and events that drive us forward. We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from Governor Agnelo Queiroz, the Government of the Federal District – GDF and the Bandeirantes Communications Group throughout this entire process. INDYCAR fans throughout the world are unbelievably enthusiastic about our sport and we’re excited to showcase another thrilling event next season.”

INDYCAR previously sanctioned a Verizon IndyCar Series street race in São Paulo (2010-13) and CART raced in Rio de Janeiro (1996-2000) on an oval circuit that was also named in honor of Piquet.

“I look forward to having the race in Brasília; it will be a marvelous event not only for developing Brasília but for all of Brazil,” Brasília Governor Agnelo Queiroz said while visiting the Indianapolis 500 in May. “The racetrack is located close to downtown and we expect more than 100,000 fans at the event. The racetrack is a permanent facility and it was built in the center of the city in 1973, and we were determined in our improvements that the track should meet the safety and performance requirements for INDYCAR, F1 and MotoGP. We truly hope the event will bring investments and economic development for the whole Central region of Brazil.”

Brazilians Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, two of the most successful and popular drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series, applauded the 2015 schedule addition.

“It’s awesome news that we’re going back to Brazil next year,” said Kanaan, the 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner. “The fans there love INDYCAR and support the race and we also have Brazilian sponsors involved in our sport, so racing in my home country is a no-brainer. I raced at the Brasília track a very long time ago, in the beginning of the 90’s, but I remember it being very cool. I can’t wait for INDYCAR to get back there in 2015.”

Castroneves, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner who recently finished second in the Verizon IndyCar Series championship behind his teammate Will Power, echoed Kanaan’s sentiments.

“We are living in great times for Brazil,” Castroneves said. “The World Cup was there a few months ago. The Olympics are coming to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In between we will see the return of the Verizon IndyCar Series beginning in 2015. Brazilians are very proud of their sports heritage, including motorsports. I know it will be a great event at a new venue for us in the capital of Brasília, the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, named after one of our greatest drivers. I love racing in my native country and I hope to be the winner next year.”

Brasília joins NOLA Motorsports Park as the second new INDYCAR venue added to the calendar for next season. INDYCAR officials are currently finalizing the entire 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, which will be announced later this offseason.

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After a very successful campaign with 2013 Team Canada drivers Scott Hargrove and Zacharie Robichon, the hopes are high once again for the Team Canada Scholarship Program. With a wealth of young talented drivers competing in the junior open wheel ranks, it is again a tough job to narrow it down to 6 finalists. Competing in the highly competitive world of F1600 racing, 5 of this year’s nominees are making their presence felt. After a large number of drivers competing at the F2000 level made the jump up to Pro Mazda, a single Canadian driver is carrying the flag in the F2000 category.

Just as the young drivers trying to make their way learn the difficulties of finding the funding to compete, the struggle to fund the Scholarship is a difficult one. Nevertheless, the Scholarship will be sending one deserving driver to England this October to contest the world renowned Formula Ford Festival held at Brands Hatch. The search for additional funding will continue as every effort will be made to send a second driver.

The 6 finalists have all had impressive results and continue to impress as their respective series close in on their final races of the season. In no particular order, the finalists are: Olivier Bedard, Daniel Burkett, Chase Pelletier, Craig Willis, Jeffrey Kingsley, and Amy Castell.

Olivier Bedard has been a regular podium visitor and a race winner in the Quebec based Formula Tour 1600 series and lies 2nd in points with one event to go. A season opening win and two outstanding races at the support event for the Canadian Grand Prix have highlighted his year to date where he is very much in contention for the overall championship. Daniel Burkett entered his second season of the highly competitive USF2000 series and has made gains all season long. He also ventured into the East Coast based Formula Atlantic Championship where he won the championship in convincing fashion. Chase Pelletier entered his second season of F1600 racing making his focus the Ontario based Toyo Tires F1600 Championship as well as competing in the newly created “Super Series”. With several podium finishes under his belt he went into the final rounds of the Super Series with a shot at the championship and put his most impressive weekend of the year together when he won both ends of the double header and claimed the inaugural Super Series Championship. He currently lies 2nd in the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship. 2013 Toyo Tires F1600 B Class Champion Craig Willis made the jump to the premier A Class with the ageless Aero FF. Craig proved at the first event he would be a serious contender as he came back from a day ending crash on the Saturday to claim a podium the following day and settle in for a hard fought season which recently had him gather a pair of 2nd place finishes at Calabogie Motorsports Park that vaulted him into 3rd in the points. Jeffrey Kingsley is enjoying a solid rookie season and has been a podium visitor In both the Quebec and Ontario series. Amy Castell becomes the first female driver to be named a finalist for the Team Canada Scholarship. Earning the respect of her peers, she has shown her competitors that she is capable of getting on the podium regularly in the popular B Class for older machinery. The popular young driver grabbed her biggest trophy ever with a hard fought win on the streets of Toronto in the Indycar support race for the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship.

“Another year with some outstanding young drivers to select from. While ultimately we have to choose one driver to represent Team Canada, they are very capable and would be fine representatives for the Scholarship. We will be making our announcement shortly as we make final preparations for the Formula Ford Festival at Brands. “ comments Team Canada Scholarship founder Brian Graham.

As in the past, Cliff Dempsey Racing will be the host team for the Canadian squad. In it’s 4th year now, the Scholarship Alumni is making their mark on the different series they are now competing in. Xavier Coupal has had some success as he now is focused on the Canadian Tire Nascar Series. Second year TCS driver Garett Grist had a breakout year in Star Mazda with two wins. 2013 TCS drivers Scott Hargrove and Zacharie Robichon both have had success. Scott came within 3 laps of winning the Pro Mazda Championship before a mechanical gremlin robbed him of the title. He still was the Rookie of the Year and picked up several wins. He also won the IMSA Canada Porsche Championship in a dominant season. Zacharie Robichon ran a partial season picking up podiums at the Montreal F1 support event in the FTour 1600 Series as well as podiums at Toronto (Indycar support event) and the Pro weekend at CTMP.

Of course without the support of our partners at Team Canada Scholarship the program would not exist. K-Line Insulators, Aim Autosport, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Formula Tour 1600 Series, OFFC, Door Doctor, Bollenbach Insurance, Hallman Construction, Rod End Mechanical, Mulitmatic, eformulacarnews.com, Inside Track News, BARC, RMB Inc., Bamford Produce, Gary Allen Racing, and FEL (Francazk Enterprises LTD) all play an integral part in the success of the Team Canada Scholarship.

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Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (September 4, 2014) – Six young American drivers will converge on Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., next Monday, September 8, for a shootout to determine who will represent the Team USA Scholarship in the traditional Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone, England, later in the fall.

This will be 25th year the scholarship has assisted promising American youngsters at an early stage in their careers. Jimmy Vasser was awarded the inaugural Team USA Scholarship in 1990. Subsequent winners have included Bryan Herta (1991), Buddy Rice (1997), A.J. Allmendinger (2001), Charlie Kimball (2003), J.R. Hildebrand (2005), Dane Cameron (2006), Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly (2008), Spencer Pigot (2010/2011) and Tristan Nunez and Matthew Brabham (2012).

This year’s candidates are:
• Ben Auriemma, 16, from Manhasset, N.Y. – currently competing in the Skip Barber Summer Series (4 wins)
• Tristan DeGrand, 18, from St. Louis, Mo. – leads two Canadian F1600 Championships (16 wins)
• Kenton Koch (pronounced “Cook”), 20, from Glendora, Calif. – SCCA Mazda MX-5 Cup points leader (6 wins)
• Garth Rickards, 21, from Mechanicsburg, Pa. – currently second in the F1600 Championship Series (8 podiums)
• Michai (“Muh-KIE”) Stephens, 22, from Evanston, Ill. – competes in the Skip Barber Summer Series (4 wins)
• Aaron Telitz, 22, from Birchwood, Wis. – finished fourth, Rookie of the Year in USF2000 (1 win, 6 podiums)

The shootout will be conducted on the Auto Club Speedway infield road course aboard FR1600 cars provided by Allen Berg Racing Schools, owned by Canadian ex-Formula 1 racer Allen Berg, and running on Cooper tires.

“Our business is based around introducing new drivers to motorsports and improving driver performance,” said Berg, who also hosted the shootout in 2012. “The Team USA Scholarship has a distinctive 20-plus-year record of selecting the best drivers in the country, many of whom have gone on to successful professional racing careers. We are of course delighted to participate in the Team USA Scholarship shootout once again this year and be part of the selection process.”

The judging panel also will include two-time Rolex Sports Car champion Alex Gurney; Team USA Scholarship winner and 2014 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires contender Neil Alberico; Chris Pantani, Director of UHP Marketing, Event Management, Sponsorships & Motorsports, Cooper Tires; David Cook, Business Development Manager, Mazda North American Operations; veteran IndyCar/Indy Lights team owner Jack McCormack; Jim Leo of Pitfit Training; RACER Magazine founder Paul Pfanner; and race engineer Geoff Fickling, who guided Colombian-American Gabby Chaves to this year’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship with Belardi Auto Racing.

“I’m extremely grateful to such an accomplished and varied panel of judges for joining us, and to Auto Club Speedway for helping stage this event,” said Team USA Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw. “We have another fine crop of youngsters, all of whom would represent the program well. We face a tough task in selecting just two winners.”

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For the full results and end-of-season point standings, visit our MAVTV 500 Event Summary.

FONTANA, Calif. (Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014) – Will Power earned his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a ninth-place finish in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway.

Power, who entered the 18th race of the season with a 51-point lead over Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves, had been the championship runner-up in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was the ninth consecutive year that the series champion was determined in the season finale.

“It’s 15 years of hard work. I was crying as I crossed the (finish) line,” said Power, who finished 62 points ahead of Castroneves. “It’s surreal. It’s just a fantastic way to finish the season.”

Power provided Team Penske its 13th Indy car championship and the first since 2006 with Sam Hornish Jr.

“Tonight showed everyone the strength of our team,” said team owner Roger Penske, who has won the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race 15 times.

Tony Kanaan, the 2004 series champion, won the 250-lap race by 3.6750 seconds over Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and 2013 champion Scott Dixon.

Kanaan was the 11th different winner of the season, which tied the Indy car single-season record set in 2000 and matched in 2001. Ed Carpenter, who won at Auto Club Speedway in 2012 and was runner-up in 2013, placed third and Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Kanaan, who claimed his first victory since the 2013 Indianapolis 500. “We had a team meeting this afternoon and (team owner) Chip Ganassi said if you win you can brag about it for seven months.”

Castroneves, who started from the pole and led 41 laps, was assessed a drive-through penalty for a pit lane entry violation on Lap 218 that put him a lap down. He finished 14th in the race and second in the championship for the fourth time in his career.

“It’s another second, but well done to Will,” said Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner. “It stings a little bit, but it motivates me to come back stronger next year and win a championship.”

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MAVTV 500 POST-RACE NOTES:

– This is Tony Kanaan’s first win of 2014 and the 17th win of his Indy car career. His last win was the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
– Scott Dixon finished second, his fourth podium finish of the season and third in the last four races.
– Ed Carpenter finished third, his third top-five finish of the season. Carpenter has finished now finished on the podium in last four season ending races.
– Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth, his eighth top-five finish of 2014.
– James Hinchcliffe finished fifth, his fourth top-five of the season.
– Will Power finished ninth to clinch his first Verizon IndyCar Series title by 62 points over Helio Castroneves.

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NEXT PAGE: Quotes from Verizon IndyCar Series drivers

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BASH’S IMPRESSIONS:

I feel a little bit at a loss for words for this last First Impressions of 2014. Mostly, it’s because I’m sad the season is over. We’ve had such terrific racing all year long, with a staggering level of competitiveness from a field that is strong top to bottom. I just wish there were a few more races to enjoy before the winter sets in…

Last night, we saw the eleventh different race winner out of the 18 races – at long last, it was Tony Kanaan’s night. It would have been a real shame if he’d gone without a win this year, especially since he was so strong in the second half of the season. Good that he ended the season on a high note and can start what will be a very special off season with that weigh off his shoulders – he and wife Lauren Bohlander are expecting their first child in January.

Speaking of weight off shoulders, I can’t imagine what Will Power is feeling today. His championship win was a long time coming, and he kept his head in the game and did what he needed to do to take home the Astor Cup. He kept saying, “I can’t believe I did it,” which was his problem all along: He couldn’t believe he’d get it done. Well, now that he’s won it all, lots of folks (myself included) believe he’ll get himself a few more before his career is over. The genie is out of the bottle.

As for the race itself, not much drama until the only restart, at which time Power gave me about 3 heart attacks with his charge to the front of the field. Add to that the packed up cars going four-wide for a few laps and I was watching through my fingers for a bit. Only one caution late in the race for a Ryan Hunter-Reay spin with no contact meant the crews were under extra pressure with tons of green flag pit stops. There were a few penalties but no big mishaps in the pits. My one big heartbreak of the race was Simon Pagenaud having handling problems from the start and thus having zero impact on the championship outcome the whole race. It will be interesting to see how Simon does next season, and on which team we’ll find him.

I’ll close with my thoughts going to Mikhail Aleshin, whom I hope has a full and speedy recovery from his practice crash injuries. He had an impressive rookie season and I hope we see him back and strong next year.

Until then, let’s hope the off-season goes by in a flash and is full of news about aero kits, driver deals and new races on the schedule.

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PAUL’S IMPRESSIONS:

It’s hard to believe that the season is already wrapped up and we now begin the very long off-season.  Truly, though, the more I’ve thought about this layoff, the more I think it has been somewhat blown out of proportion.  Several major sporting series have very long off-seasons, longer than IndyCar is facing.  The NFL is out of season from February until September (seven months), NCAA football is off from January until basically September (eight months), and NCAA basketball is off from April to November (seven months).  Perhaps it’s a symptom of wrapping up so early in the year or because NASCAR both begins earlier and ends later, but in the world of sporting series, a six-month layoff certainly isn’t unheard of.  Anyway, that’s neither here nor there for the time being.  About last night’s race…

The MAVTV 500 played out remarkably similar to the other 500-mile races this year.  The beginning of the race was pretty clean and tidy with the first caution not coming until well after the 300-mile mark.  The first part of the race was pretty processional, and quite honestly, the second half of the race was as well.  The race never really got into a side-by-side, jockeying-for-position type of affair as we’ve seen at this track the last couple years.  Nor did this race have the question of reliability that hung over last year’s event.  It seemed the drivers were all content to mind their P’s and Q’s throughout the night and do everything necessarily to make sure the equipment lasted all 500 miles.

It was fantastic to see Tony Kanaan score a victory for Chip Ganassi in the season finale.  It’s not as if Chip needed the win, but I think one could make the argument that TK did.  Once considered one of the top drivers in the series, many have questioned whether TK’s best years were well behind him as he had only a 2008 victory at Richmond, a 2010 victory at Iowa Speedway, and, of course, the 2013 victory in the Indianapolis 500 to show  in the win column since 2007.  However, Kanaan has been knocking on the door almost every week since Pocono and easily should have had two or three wins this year.  Seeing him break through was a joy.  I expect much better performance from the #10 car next season, starting right out of the gate whenever and wherever that first race may be.

On the flip side of the coin, a couple of drivers had disappointing nights that were quite difficult to watch.  For Simon Pagenaud, he entered the race still with a chance, although very slim, to capture the title but could have taken second place with a good performance.  From the drop of the green flag, it was a forgettable night for the likable Frenchman.  The Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports team just never got the car back where it needed to be after the testing crash on Wednesday, and Simon suffered all weekend long.

And in a performance that pretty much epitomized his season, Graham Rahal had another race that he would surely like to forget, sending his National Guard sponsorship out with a complete dud.  After a respectable 10th place qualifying effort, Rahal languished around the back of the field all night and eventually finished 19th, six laps behind Kanaan.  It’s hard to understand what has gone wrong with Graham’s career but he certainly seems to have floundered in every good ride he has been in.  What will become of Graham Rahal and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing this off season sans the massive National Guard sponsorship is something we will keep an eye on.  Is anyone else willing to take a flyer on a driver whose best season finish was seventh way back in 2009?

Oh yeah, and Will Power finally won the championship.  I hate to say it, but now that the monkey is off his back, I feel Power could go on a streak over the next few seasons that will make him difficult to top.  The knock on Power over the past several years was his inability to close the deal on the ovals.  He has now shown that he is proficient on the roundy rounds and they are no longer his Achilles Heel.  If the rest of the field was hoping to take advantage of Power’s one weakness, the door may have closed and winning a Verizon IndyCar Series Championship over the next couple years may have gotten even more difficult.

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For qualifying session results, visit our MAVTV 500 Event Summary.

FONTANA, Calif. (Friday, Aug. 29, 2014) – Helio Castroneves earned the Verizon P1 Award for the Verizon IndyCar Series championship-deciding MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The pole was the 41st of Castroneves’ career, breaking a tie with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears for fourth all-time in Indy car history.

Castroneves, the last of 22 qualifiers, recorded a two-lap average of 218.540 mph in the No. 3 AAA Southern California Team Penske car on the 2-mile oval as the track temperature reached 134 degrees.

Castroneves earned one bonus point for the pole and trails championship front-runner and teammate Will Power by 50 points entering the 250-lap season finale. The final leg of the Triple Crown series is worth double points.

Teammate Juan Pablo Montoya recorded a two-lap average of 217.621 mph in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske car to qualify second. Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 67 Hartman Oil/Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing car, also qualified on the front row (217.600 mph) for the three-wide start.

“It ain’t over; it’s just beginning,” said Castroneves, who earned his third pole of the season and third since 2003 at Auto Club Speedway. “Our job is to be aggressive over the 500 miles and finish where we started.”

Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, qualified a season-low 21st with a two-lap average of 212.604 mph. Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports, the third driver eligible for the championship, qualified 13th at 215.752 mph.

“With the starting position, I’d rather start at the very front or the very back to stay out of trouble early on,” Power said. “It’s obviously all about the race; it’s very long and we’ll be racing in different conditions.”

Power earned the pole for the October 2013 race at Auto Club Speedway with an average speed of 220.775 mph – a two-lap track record – and went on to win for the first time on a superspeedway.

Team owner Roger Penske is aiming for his 13th Indy car championship since 1977 with Tom Sneva and the first since 2006 with Sam Hornish Jr.

“I always tell our guys if one driver wins the team wins,” Penske said. “We got here because it was a team effort.”

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MAV TV 500 QUALIFYING NOTES:
• This is Helio Castroneves’ third Verizon P1 Award this season. It is his 41st career pole, which breaks a tie with Rick Mears for fourth all-time
• Castroneves earned his third pole position at Auto Club Speedway. He also won poles here in 2003 and 2004.
• This is Team Penske’s fifth pole at Auto Club Speedway (2001 – de Ferran, 2003-2004 – Castroneves and 2013 – Power).
• Juan Pablo Montoya qualified second, his fifth top-five start. •Josef Newgarden qualified third, his seventh top-five start of the season.

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NEXT PAGE: Quotes from much of the field qualified for the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 29, 2014) – INDYCAR announced today that the Grand Prix of Houston will not return to the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule in 2015. The 1.7-mile temporary circuit at NRG Park hosted doubleheader races in each of the past two seasons, but INDYCAR and officials from the Grand Prix of Houston were unable to define a date for the 2015 event.

“INDYCAR is thankful to Mike Lanigan and his team for all their hard work and for the tremendous support of the Grand Prix of Houston that we received from Shell, Pennzoil and Honda,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Company, the parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “We look forward to a continued relationship with Mi-Jack Promotions and will always keep our options open when it comes to an important market like Houston.”

The Grand Prix of Houston was previously part of the Indy car schedule from 1998-2001 and 2006-07.

2014 MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway
Saturday, August 30, 2014

Race Winner: Tony Kanaan
2014 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion: Will Power
Official box score – View PDF

Go to 2013 Event Summary
Go to 2012 Event Summary

Post-race analysis »
Post-race point standings »
Important times »
Track facts »
Entrant facts »
History »
Session times »
Pre-race point standings »
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POST-RACE ANALYSIS

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POST-RACE POINT STANDINGS

Driver standings:

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Entrant standings:

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Manufacturer standings (unofficial):

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Bonus winnings (unofficial tally):

Non-Leaders Circle entry winnings (unofficial tally):

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Firestone Pit Performance Award winners:

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IMPORTANT TIMES

*9:20 PM CDT, 8:20 PM MDT, 7:20 PM PDT (local), 11:20 PM BRT, 3:20 AM Sun BST, 2:20 PM Sun NZST, 12:20 PM Sun AEST, 11:20 AM Sun JST

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TRACK FACTS

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ENTRANT FACTS

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HISTORY

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SESSION TIMES

Race – Official results

Red=Non-Leaders Circle entry

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Practice 2 – Friday evening

Notes:
7:00 – Yellow flag for 9-Dixon who spins in Turn 1. Car does not make contact. Car continues back to pit lane under its own power.
18:00 –  Yellow and checkered flag for multi-car accident in Turn 4. Cars involved are 7-Aleshin, 17-Saavedra, 83-Kimball, 11-Bourdais, 98-Hawksworth and 25-Andretti. Aleshin spun between Turns 3 and 4. Car spun up the track and collected Kimball. Aleshin got airborne and made contact with the catch fence. Damage to the catch fence in Turn 4 will end the session.
Medical update from Dr. Terry Trammell, INDYCAR medical consultant: Mikhail Aleshin is conscious and being airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif., complaining of injuries to his right shoulder and right foot.

Qualifying results:

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Qualifying order:
7-Aleshin, 2-Montoya, 98-Hawksworth, 17-Saavedra, 25-Andretti, 15-Rahal, 18-Huertas, 27-Hinchcliffe, 28-Hunter-Reay, 34-Munoz, 77-Pagenaud, 20-Carpenter, 12-Power, 10-Kanaan, 8-Briscoe, 19-Wilson, 67-Newgarden, 9-Dixon, 11-Bourdais, 83-Kimball, 14-Sato, 3-Castroneves.

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Practice 1 – Friday morning

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PRE-RACE POINT STANDINGS

Driver standings:

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Entrant standings:

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Manufacturer standings (unofficial):

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Bonus winnings (unofficial tally):

Non-Leaders Circle entry winnings (unofficial tally):

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Firestone Pit Performance Award winners:

AVONDALE, La. (Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014) – INDYCAR announced today the addition of NOLA Motorsports Park and the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana to the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule in 2015. The event will be held April 10-12 and organized by Andretti Sports Marketing on a newly-configured 13-turn, 2.67-mile permanent road course layout.

The Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana will feature a three-day festival combining Louisiana’s culture – including live musical acts, entertainment and local cuisine – with the excitement of a Verizon IndyCar Series event.

“We’re delighted about the opportunity to showcase the Verizon IndyCar Series at NOLA Motorsports Park and to INDYCAR fans in the greater New Orleans area,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “The commitment from track owner Laney Chouest and his associates, combined with the support we received from the state of Louisiana, was the catalyst in making this come to fruition. New Orleans has a history of hosting successful major sporting events and we’re thrilled to be able to add the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana to the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.”

Earlier this year, the state of Louisiana committed $4.5 million to make enhancements to the racetrack in support of the event. This investment, combined with private funding from NOLA Motorsports Park, helped facilitate required track and facility improvements necessary to host a Verizon IndyCar Series event.

“The State of Louisiana understands the economic and cultural potential of this annual event,” said NOLA Motorsports Park owner Laney Chouest. “Track operations are currently underway to transform NOLA Motorsports Park into a Verizon IndyCar Series circuit, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, grandstands and viewing platforms racing fans need for a truly enjoyable experience.”

Improvements to NOLA Motorsports Park are already underway and include a reconfigured course layout, which was designed in collaboration with INDYCAR officials and Verizon IndyCar Series drivers, including James Hinchcliffe and Graham Rahal.

“I’m really excited about going to NOLA next year,” Hinchcliffe said. “Having seen the track and the changes they are going to make, I think it’ll be great to drive. Great for fans, too, because you can see most of the track from the stands, which is rare on road courses. But maybe even more than that just going to that city is going to be a blast. They sure know how to throw a party and I know that they are going to roll out the red carpet for INDYCAR and really make it an event.”

INDYCAR will crown its 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and conclude its season this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The complete 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule will be released later this offseason.

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INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Aug. 25, 2014) – INDYCAR’s 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series testing regulations released today include no in-season on-track team activity but the re-introduction of Open Tests before selected races.

Provisions have been made in the rulebook for potential Firestone tire tests, new Verizon IndyCar Series teams and first-year drivers.

The regulations apply from Aug. 31 through Sept. 20, 2015. A team is permitted a total of 14 test days, comprised of engine manufacturer tests, team tests, Open Tests and full-size wind tunnel tests. Full-season entrants are allocated a maximum of 10,000 total miles for use in all on-track activity from the first race or Open Test of 2015 to the end of the race season.

“The reason for changing the testing regulations is about trying to contain the costs and fit into our new schedule,” INDYCAR president of competition Derrick Walker said. “Competition drives teams to test as much as they can because they’re trying to win races, but combined with the schedule it’s hard on the team members.

“Now we’re making provisions for race events to have promoter day tests, where the cars will be on the track and hopefully the promoter sees that as an opportunity to open up the stands for fans and sell race tickets.”

The first Open Test is scheduled for March 16-17, 2015, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. It will be the initial opportunity for teams to test manufacturer road and street course aero kits to debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 27-29.

Other Open Test venues include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Sonoma Raceway. Open Test days were incorporated in the 2013 testing regulations.

“Barber has a lot of fast, sweeping corners – areas where you’ll really see the aero kits perform,” Walker said. “The teams already have data and familiarity with Barber and Firestone has great tires for that circuit. The teams can compare and relate to what they’ve done in the past while getting a handle on the aero kit.”

The 2014-15 offseason on-track testing period opens Sept. 16. Six days of manufacturer aero kit testing with selected teams will be conducted from Oct. 6 to Jan. 18, 2015. Teams take delivery of the road and street course aero kit March 1.

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SONOMA, Calif. (Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014) – Scott Dixon overtook race leader Mike Conway on Lap 83 of 85 en route to a dramatic victory Sunday in the GoPro Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway. The win was the 35th of Dixon’s Indy car career, putting him in a tie for fifth place on the all-time Indy car victory list with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser.

Dixon, who started third in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, led Ryan Hunter-Reay across the finish line by 1.1359 seconds. Simon Pagenaud finished third after overtaking Conway, whose No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing car ran out of fuel and coasted across the finish line for a 14th-place finish.

Pagenaud, who started 15th in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car, joins Team Penske teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves as drivers eligible for the Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dixon remain championship eligible, but will be eliminated if Power participates in Friday practice at Auto Club Speedway, which would assure the Team Penske driver half points for the weekend.

Power takes a lead of 51 points over Castroneves and 81 points over Pagenaud to the two-mile Auto Club Speedway oval for the season-closing MAVTV 500 on Aug. 30. A total of 104 points are available in the final round of the Triple Crown series.

Power, who started on the pole and led a field-high 33 laps in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, was scored 10th after rebounding from a spin on Lap 40 that cost him eight positions to 20th.

“It took me by surprise when I spun. That’s just racing,” Power said. “I would have liked to have had a better finish, but the Verizon Chevy team will look to Fontana working towards the championship.”

Castroneves, whose No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske car was involved in contact on Laps 1 and 36, finished 18th. He entered the race 40 points behind Power.

“This is just big for our team,” said Dixon. “It was tough because there were so many fuel strategies going on and they were just slightly off. I didn’t know who could make it and who couldn’t.”

Takuma Sato, who started 20th in the No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing car, finished a season-high fourth and Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske entry.

Twenty cars finished on the lead lap, tying a season high set in the Indianapolis 500. The 10 lead changes were the most for a Verizon IndyCar Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

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GOPRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA POST-RACE NOTES:
· This is Scott Dixon’s second win of 2014 and his 35th career Indy car win. Dixon, the active leader in wins, is tied with Bobby Unser for fifth on the all-time wins list
· This is Dixon’s second win at Mid-Ohio. He also won here in 2007.
· This is Chip Ganassi Racing’s third win at Sonoma. The team won here in 2007 with Dixon and 2009 with Dario Franchitti.
· Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second. It is his sixth podium finish of the season and best finish at Sonoma. His previous best was sixth in 2013.
· Simon Pagenaud finished third, his third podium finish of the season and best finish at Sonoma. His previous best finish was fifth last year.

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NEXT PAGE: Quotes from much of the field for the 2014 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

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Sonoma, Calif. – Less than nine hours after a major earthquake hit the Napa Valley region of Northern California, the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires contingent took to the nearby Sonoma Raceway road course for their eagerly awaited championship finale. Title rivals Gabby Chaves and Jack Harvey were separated by just a dozen points after 13 races. The 38-lap race might not have replicated yesterday’s action-packed closer to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, but there was still plenty of drama as Harvey swept to another emphatic victory for Schmidt Peterson Motorsport with Curb-Agajanian. The Englishman had done all he could in the #42 Racing Steps Foundation Dallara. His fourth race win of the season tied him on championship points and race wins with series leader Chaves (Belardi Auto Racing), but it was the Colombian-American who would take home the championship crown – and a $750,000 Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship to assist with the advancement to next year’s Verizon IndyCar Series – by virtue of his tally of five second-place finishes to Harvey’s one.

Just as on the previous road course event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Harvey was effectively in a class of his own on the undulating and challenging 2.385-mile natural terrain road course. The 21-year-old from Lincoln, England, started from the pole for the second day running and his only moments of concern came even before the green flag fell as the first two attempts at a start were waved off due to a misalignment of the field. Harvey was adjudged to have anticipated the first attempt, while Chaves was at fault at the next go-round. Thankfully, the third time worked a charm.

Harvey took advantage of his pole position to assume the lead heading up the hill, while Chaves slotted neatly into second. A fine start by Colombian Juan Piedrahita (SPM w/Curb-Agajanian) enabled him to jump fellow second row starter and teammate Luiz Razia for third, while the third title contender, Zach Veach (Andretti Autosport), somehow managed to work his way from eighth to fourth.

So far as the front of the field was concerned, that was about it. Harvey made an immediate break, setting what was to stand as the fastest lap of the race (worth one championship point) on Lap 6, then pulled away with every single lap. He ultimately finished a full 18.7018 seconds clear of Chaves, who nevertheless had achieved his goal. Second place was all he needed to clinch the championship.

Piedrahita held off a long train of cars for the majority of the race before making a couple of mistakes under braking for the Turn Nine chicane and sliding across the dirt. The second one cost him dearly, as both Veach and Razia had made their way past before Turn 11.

Veach held onto third in the face of intense race-long pressure from Razia, while Matthew Brabham finished fifth in the second Andretti Autosport entry.

Harvey’s victory and Razia’s fourth-place finish was enough to clinch the Team Championship for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian.

Veach earned the RePlay XD Move of the Race for passing four cars on the first lap of the race. Additional contingency awards included a customized Race Energy charger – the official battery of the ladder series to the winning team of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

Gabby Chaves, #5 Marca Colombia/Coldportes (Belardi Auto Racing): “It was the longest race of my life! There was no reason to push to keep up with Jack – it’s a game of speed, but it’s also a game of consistency and strategy. We really won the title with tire strategy this weekend. I knew that if I got the bonus point Saturday for the fastest lap, I could finish second in both races and win. But it was just a mix of happiness and excitement at the end. I was asked about the future yesterday and I said that if I won, I was sure I could figure out something for IndyCar next year.”

Jack Harvey, #42 Racing Steps Foundation (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian): “What a strange day – it’s the worst I’ve ever felt after winning a race. But we’ve had a good season. Perhaps a bit of inexperience in Indy Lights over the first three races cost us the championship, not being competitive in Long Beach and Barber. If I could change any two races, it would be them. I’ve never lost a championship because of the number of second-place finishes. The only thing I said to the team today was ‘if we can’t win the championship, let’s go out and win the race, try to lead the most laps and get the fastest race lap and win by as big a margin as we can.’ I certainly feel as though we were the guys to beat in the second half of the season. I’m hoping to stay out here and do Indy Lights again next year, if not IndyCar. So if I can stay here, that’s what I’m going to do.”

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