With the IndyCar finale at Sonoma in the rearview mirror and Scott Dixon now a four-time champion, it’s a good time to look back on some of the storylines we thought would dominate the season.
As expected, aero kits was the main topic for much of the season. It began with body bits flying off under contact during the season opener, evolved into Chevrolet being dominant and peaked with concerns about cars going airborne during the Indianapolis 500.
With the simplification of the Honda kit the competition between manufacturers got better as the season went on, but they have petitioned the series for more assistance and have yet to renew their contract with IndyCar for next year and beyond.
Canadian race fans were focused on James Hinchcliffe and his move to Schmidt Peterson and how he would perform as the lead driver. Due to his unfortunate accident at Indy we’ll have to wait until next year for a better idea of how this plays out.
Hinchcliffe is continuing his recovery and once he’s cleared by doctors he plans to be back in the car participating in team testing by the end of September.
The much-anticipated Penske juggernaut was visible at times this year, but after a strong start things ended in disappointment as they failed to take home the championship. The four Penske pilots finished second, third, fifth and 11th in the championship chase. Here’s how things shook out, from best to worst: Juan Pablo Montoya won two races but never sat on pole; Power had one victory and six poles; Helio Castroneves had zero victories and four poles, and Simon Pagenaud was shut out with one pole.
Not bad, but when Montoya leads the points from the first race and loses it on the last lap of the final event that leaves a sour taste.
Andretti Autosport struggled mightily with the Honda aero kit but sorted things out late in the season and Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to show his championship form. Hunter-Reay scored two victories along with a second- and seventh-place result in the final four races of the year.
Race management and officiating also came into focus during the year. Mandated changes to the bodywork and the last minute rule changes for qualifying at Indianapolis had both Chevrolet and Honda executives irked.
Choosing to issue post-race penalties instead of taking action during an event also gave teams and fans reason to grumble. The most serious incident occurred when Graham Rahal left the pit lane with his fuel host still attached to the car, spraying gasoline everywhere. A foul that serious deserves to be punished immediately.
With the season ending injury to Hinchcliffe and the death of Justin Wilson driver safety became one of the biggest stories of 2015 and rightfully so. In the days after Hinchcliffe’s crash it was determined a change to the cars could make them safer and it was immediately implemented.
If it’s determined that additional tweaks to cars, other equipment or procedures can make the sport safer those changes will be put in place, too. When it comes to safety, change can and does come quickly.
There are plenty of questions heading into the off-season. Who will be the new series president? Where will Josef Newgarden take his driving talent next year? What will the 2016 schedule look like when it’s complete? Those questions will be answered in the coming months and there will be new events and tracks returning to the series plus the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 to look forward to.
In spite of the issues and the sometimes over-the-top griping by fans, media and participants, the racing was often very exciting and gives reason for optimism heading into next season.