Pagenaud vs. Power: Sizing up two-man race
The Verizon IndyCar Series championship comes down to the season finale at Sonoma Raceway in California, a race that awards double points. Team Penske teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power are in a heated battle for the title. Pagenaud is going for his first championship. Power, who won in 2014, wants to add a second. So how did they get here? POWER’S EARLY SETBACK
Power exited his car in St. Petersburg, Fla., after blitzing the field in qualifying and wobbled to the pit wall with help from wife Liz. What ailed Power then wasn’t immediately known, but IndyCar’s medical team noted concussion-like symptoms. Postrace tests showed Power hadn’t suffered a concussion in a crash during the opening practice, but team officials decided he wasn’t fit for the opener that Sunday. So Team Penske summoned veteran Oriol Servia to drive the No. 12 Chevrolet. Sitting out put Power at an early 43-point deficit to Pagenaud, who finished second. If that number sounds familiar, it’s because it is the number of points separating the contenders. deep in the pack upon their stops, and that’s effectively how the race ended. Power led the final 10 laps for the win, earning 51 points. Dixon and Pagenaud settled for eighth and ninth, respectively, the latter collecting 23 points. BACKING OUT AT TEXAS
Four side-by-side cars approaching Turn 3 at Texas Motor Speedway, and Pagenaud’s choice to withdraw from the potential mess could prove to be a gamechanger. That Power was a lap back made Pagenaud’s decision easier, and he kept fighting for the win that went to Graham Rahal. His fourth-place finish netted 32 points. Power earned 24 points. BONUS POINTS
Four available at each race; Pagenaud has a 27-14 advantage. HOW THEY CAN WIN
With three wins at Sonoma, Power would seem to have an edge. A variety of scenarios could unfold, and there are bonus points to be had (not counted here), but the most likely outcomes include:
uPagenaud wins if he: Finishes ahead of Power, he finishes in the top four or Power doesn’t finish in the top five.
uPower wins if he: Wins with Pagenaud not in the top three, finishes second with Pagenaud not in the top 11, finishes third with Pagenaud not in the top 16, finishes fourth with Pagenaud not in the top 19 or finishes fifth with Pagenaud not in the top 21.
So what about a tiebreaker? It’s not far-fetched: Scott Dixon won the race and beat Juan Pablo Montoya on a tiebreaker last year. First tiebreaker: most wins (each has four); second tiebreaker: most second-place finishes (Pagenaud has three, Power two); third tiebreaker: most third-place finishes (Power has one, Pagenaud none).