Yahoo Autos How Will Power Has Clearest Path to IndyCar Title in Laguna Seca Finale
Will Power comes into Sunday’s race—not including any extra points awarded to the top qualifier—with a 20-point lead over Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden.
Marcus Ericsson and Scott McLaughlin are also alive in the championship, but would need several things fall their way.
This is the closest championship battle the series has seen—at least with five drivers—since the 2003 Indy Racing League season.
A win in the season-ending race at Laguna Seca this Sunday will not guarantee the IndyCar championship to the driver who winds up in victory lane.
Sure, it may look good on a resume or in the IndyCar season record book, but for Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson or Scott McLaughlin, taking the checkered flag first means nothing if current points leader Will Power finishes third or better.
Because if Power does that, he will earn his second career IndyCar championship, essentially preventing Dixon from earning a record-tying seventh IndyCar title, Newgarden a third crown, and first-time championships for either Ericsson or McLaughlin.
Some fans are under the impression that drivers are still competing for a points purse of 1 ½ points or even double points than in regular IndyCar races. But that’s not the case – and hasn’t been the case since the 2019 season finale.
Even if Dixon, Newgarden, Ericsson or McLaughlin earn the pole and win from it, that’s still not enough points if Power simply earns a podium finish. It doesn’t matter if the Aussie driver takes second or third place, just as long as he finishes on the podium, the championship is his.
But nothing is guaranteed to Power: he finished 26th in last year’s race at Laguna Seca after finishing runner-up in the previous edition held there in 2019.
“It’s still a very tough fight,” Power said.” We've got to come up to Laguna seriously ready. Yeah, as you know, in this series it switches incredibly quickly. Got to be smart.”
For the record, Power comes into Sunday’s race—not including any extra points awarded to the top qualifier—with a 20-point lead over Dixon and Newgarden. Ericsson, who won this year’s Indianapolis 500, is 39 points behind Power and the hottest driver on the circuit of late (with one win, three other podiums and a fourth-place finish in his last five starts), McLaughlin, is 41 points back.
Historically Close
Also, for the record, this is the closest championship battle the series has seen—at least with five drivers—since the 2003 Indy Racing League season when a quintet of drivers were separated by just 30 points heading into the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway.
Sunday comes down to three drivers on Team Penske vs. two pilots for Team Ganassi, as no other IndyCar teams are in contention for the championship.
Sure, it would take a near-miracle for McLaughlin to win the title, and he’s already talking about his chances for next year, but realistically, if the other four finalists run into trouble on Sunday—or someone inadvertently runs into them, ending their day prematurely—the New Zealand driver could cap off what has been nothing short of a Cinderella-like season in the best way possible.
