Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet IndyCar Drivers Jockey for Championship Points

Chevrolet IndyCar Drivers Jockey for Championship Points

· Chevrolet drivers occupy the top six spots in standings
ᴏ Four races remain in the quest for driver title
· Simon Pagenaud continues firm grip on No. 1 position
ᴏ Team Penske teammate Will Power is 59 points behind
· Chevrolet drivers prepare for demands of the ‘Tricky Triangle’
ᴏ Pocono Raceway 2.5-mile tri-oval is fast and challenging
· Juan Pablo Montoya set track qualifying record on way to 2014 win

DETROIT (Aug. 18, 2016) – Victory from the pole Aug. 5 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course “was a stamp on the championship,” according to Simon Pagenaud. Still, the Team Penske driver is fully aware that registering his first Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) championship isn’t sealed and delivered.

Pagenaud earned his series-leading fourth victory of the season to increase his title points advantage over teammate and race runner-up Will Power to 58, which is the largest margin with four races left since Power led Dario Franchitti by 59 points in 2010. Last year, Juan Pablo Montoya led Scott Dixon by 54 points with four races remaining. Dixon came back to win his fourth title on a tiebreaker.

The next test is 200 hair-raising laps on the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway tri-oval this weekend in the ABC Supply 500.

“My confidence hasn’t changed. We’ve been super strong all year,” said Pagenaud, who is the fourth Team Penske driver to led the championship chase with four races to go since 2010. “There were a lot of instances where it didn’t go our way, and I think when it goes our way we need to maximize it and that’s what we’re doing.”

Pagenaud will drive the No. 22 Menards Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway, where he has a best finish of sixth in the three Verizon IndyCar Series races.

“I have the best car underneath me so I can really work my own details and keep improving. Every time I’m on the racetrack, I feel like I’m improving from the previous race,” he said.

Power, who has recorded five consecutive top-two finishes in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, has collected two top-five finishes in three starts at the “Tricky Triangle.”

“The Verizon Chevrolet team is ready for Pocono. We have a lot of momentum right now and it’s a track that we’ve had some good performances,” he said. “It’s a track made for these cars. There is a lot of passing and jockeying for position. We’re in the championship hunt and that’s all I could ask at this point after missing the first race (because of illness). The whole team has worked so hard to get ourselves back in it. We just need to finish strong.”

Drivers of the Chevrolet IndyCar Aero Kit with integrated 2.2-liter, V6 engine occupy the top six places in the standings entering the ABC Supply 500. Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet, is 111 points behind Pagenaud in third. Josef Newgarden, No. 21 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet, is fourth, and Dixon, No. 9 Target Chevrolet, and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Tony Kanaan, No. 10 NTT Data Chevrolet, are tied for fifth.

Team Penske’s Montoya, No. 2 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet, set the two-lap qualifying track record of 223.871 mph in earning the pole in 2014 and went on to handily win the race over Castroneves.

NBCSN will telecast the 200-lap ABC Supply 500 live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday. Also, the INDYCAR Radio Network broadcast is available on network affiliates, indycarradio.com, RaceControl.indycar.com, the INDYCAR Mobile app, Sirius 212, and XM 209.

Chevrolet will welcome fans to its Chevrolet Racing Display, which will include a number of Chevrolet’s award-winning production vehicles, including a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51. Examples of Chevrolet engines, and a selection of performance parts and accessories that are available for fans to purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer also will be on display. Hours of operation are (all times local) 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Members from Team Penske will be at the Chevrolet Racing Display to great fans and answer questions at 4 p.m. Saturday – Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, Simon Pagenaud, and Will Power.