If you were to map out a blueprint for a championship-winning IndyCar season, it would probably look something like this: win a few races, complete every lap, and average a top five finish across the year. Except that Simon Pagenaud did exactly that in 2017, and it still wasn't enough. In an era of deep fields and close competition, consistency matters – but as a critical foundation for victories, rather than as a means to a championship in itself. Josef Newgarden earned four wins to Pagenaud's two this year, although Pagenaud managed to offset that to some degree by claiming one of his victories at double-points-paying Sonoma. It shines a light on the importance of moments like...
Full Story »