Motorsport.com's Top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2017
Team Penske-Chevrolet scored 10 victories in the 17-race 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, but remarkably there were still 10 different race winners and the finale featured four realistic title contenders. David Malsher assesses the elite.
The Penske domination continued for a second straight season, but this was also the year in which we saw a win for Dale Coyne Racing from Sebastien Bourdais, James Hinchcliffe’s first victory since his life-threatening shunt at Indy two years ago, the first roadcourse triumph for Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato scoring the first Indy 500 victory for a Japanese driver and the first win in three years for Helio Castroneves.
2017 was also a year in which criticism of Race Control seemed almost to disappear, when Curtis Francois proved at Gateway Motorsports Park that IndyCar’s oval races can be successful, and when two teams (Juncos Racing and Harding Racing) and several aspiring fulltime IndyCar drivers (Zach Veach, Jack Harvey, Esteban Gutierrez, Ed Jones and Zachary Claman DeMelo) made their series debuts, although Jones was the only full-season rookie in 2017.
How good is Palou and is he Dixon’s strongest title rival?
Last Sunday, Alex Palou delivered his first IndyCar victory on his Chip Ganassi Racing debut. Is the young Spaniard going to become his legendary teammate Scott Dixon’s biggest title threat? David Malsher-Lopez reports.
Preview: Why IndyCar in 2021 is too close to call
The fight for supremacy in the NTT IndyCar Series will be as intense as ever. David Malsher-Lopez is your guide to the main contenders and six intriguing sub-plots.
Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?
With Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up, 2021 could be the year Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet joins the IndyCar elite, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Dale Coyne picks the Top 10 drivers in his giant-slaying team
Over 37 seasons, Dale Coyne has run no fewer than 80 Indy car drivers – including himself! Ahead of his first season running Romain Grosjean, we asked Coyne to pick the best 10 drivers ever to compete for him. By David Malsher-Lopez.
Why enigmatic Marco Andretti will be missed
Last Friday, Marco Andretti announced he is withdrawing from fulltime IndyCar racing. David Malsher-Lopez explains how this third-gen racer was a puzzle in the car, but a straight shooter off-track.
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Is the mighty McLaren M16 the greatest ever Indy car?
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indy car game-changer that won three Indy 500s in six years.
How Newgarden delivered his best season, yet still lost
Josef Newgarden was our pick as top IndyCar driver of 2020 but his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield the championship. David Malsher-Lopez explains why.
Previous article
2018 IndyCar “a real handful, and that’s good!” says Servia at Sebring
Next article
IndyCar reveals test guidelines for 2018
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Drivers | Will Power , Graham Rahal , Sébastien Bourdais , Spencer Pigot , Alexander Rossi , Helio Castroneves , Takuma Sato , Simon Pagenaud , Ed Jones , Scott Dixon , James Hinchcliffe , Josef Newgarden , Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| Teams | Andretti Autosport , Team Penske , Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing , Chip Ganassi Racing , Arrow McLaren SP , Ed Carpenter Racing , Dale Coyne Racing |
| Author | David Malsher-Lopez |