CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
ONE TO GO – THREE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS TO VIE FOR NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Point leader Will Power and teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin are among five drivers mathematically eligible to win the Astor Cup
DETROIT (Sept. 8, 2022) – As the 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series (NICS) season roars to a close at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WTLS) on Sunday, three Team Chevy drivers are among the five that are mathematically eligible to win the INDYCAR Championship and take home the Astor Cup.
Will Power, No.12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, heads to the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey season finale as the points leader with 523 points. Power led the standings twice earlier in the season and retook the top spot after Race 13 (Indianapolis road course-July 30). He has one win, four poles and 11 top-five finishes (the latter two are most in INDYCAR this year).
Teammate Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, is tied for second, 20 points down to Power, and holds the tiebreaker with five wins (most in INDYCAR this year). He also has one pole and seven top-five finishes.
Sitting fifth is Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, fresh off his convincing win at Portland and the announcement of a contract extension. He is 41 points behind Power and has recorded three wins, three poles and eight top-five finishes.
Scott Dixon (Honda) is tied with Newgarden, and Marcus Ericsson (Honda) is fourth in the standings.
A total of 54 points is available Sunday: 50 points for the race win, one point each for pole position and leading one lap, plus two points for leading the most laps in the 95-lap race around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course.
“To have five drivers vying for the championship, three of which are Chevy-powered, going into the final race of the INDYCAR season is remarkable,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet program manager for the NTT INDYCAR Series. “With 11 wins in 16 races, I am extremely proud of the effort put forth by our teams, the Chevrolet engineers and Ilmor, our engine partner. We had our challenges from time to time, but everyone pulled together and moved forward. And here we are … poised for a final run for the title times three.
“We feel well-prepared for Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca to support not only our title-contending teams, but all of our Bowtie teams as they engage in the final 95-lap battle of the season. Good luck to Will, Josef and Scott as they all drive to cap off their season off by winning the Astor Cup.”
TIDBITS:
· Points leader Power has one previous podium at WTLS (second in 2019).
· Newgarden was crowned the 2019 NTCS champion at WTLS without winning the race (eighth in 2019).
The Grand Prix of Monterey will commence with practice on Friday, Sept. 9, at 2:30 p.m. local (5:30 p.m. ET). On Saturday, practice will start at 10:15 a.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET); Firestone Fast Six qualifying will start at 2:05 p.m. local (5:05 p.m. ET). The morning warmup on Sunday is at 9 a.m. local (noon ET). All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio and XM Channel 160. The 95-lap race will take the green flag at 12:30 p.m. local (3:30 p.m. ET) live on NBC.
BY THE NUMBERS: Chevrolet in INDYCAR
· 1: Chevrolet’s position in the INDYCAR Engine Manufacturer standings after 16 races
· 2: Consecutive front-row starts in the Indianapolis 500 for Rinus Veekay of Ed Carpenter Racing
· 4: Consecutive victories by Chevrolet to open the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the pole and race at St. Petersburg. Penske teammate Josef Newgarden won at Texas and Long Beach, and Pato O’Ward was victorious at Barber Motorsport Park for Arrow McLaren SP
· 5: Wins by Chevrolet-powered entries in CART/Champ Car World Series at Laguna Seca in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Four came via Team Penske including Paul Tracy’s victory in 1993
· 6: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating to the start of 2020. Scott McLaughlin was the most recent at St. Petersburg
· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012
· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012
· 14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 11 with Chevrolet. He won at Belle Isle in 2022
· 26: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer
· 42: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver
· 106: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012
· 116: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012
· 181: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR
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ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
