CHEVY INDYCAR AT SONOMA: Banner Day for Chevrolet at Sonoma as Newgarden Claims First IndyCar Championship, Pagenaud Sonoma Race Victory

Banner Day for Chevrolet at Sonoma as Newgarden Claims First IndyCar Championship, Pagenaud Sonoma Race Victory

Fifth Driver’s Championship in Six Seasons for Team Chevy in Verizon IndyCar Series

 

  • Chevrolet claims sixth consecutive Manufacturer Championship in Verizon IndyCar Series
  • Team Penske adds another victory and championship to storied resume in IndyCar
  • Josef Newgarden claims title in first season with Team Penske
  • Team Chevy sweeps podium in season-finale with Will Power finished third behind Pagenaud and Newgarden
  • Victory vaults Pagenaud to second in season-ending standing to give one-two in point standings

SONOMA, California (Sept. 17, 2017) – Team Penske was the big winner Sunday in the Verizon IndyCar Series as Josef Newgarden claimed his first career Driver’s Championship in the series, and Simon Pagenaud won the season finale at Sonoma Raceway in their Chevrolet-powered IndyCars.

Newgarden placed second in the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma in his No. 2 Hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, more than enough to give Team Chevy its fifth Driver’s Championship since returning to IndyCar racing in 2012.

Chevrolet won its sixth consecutive Manufacturer’s Championship in the series.

Today’s title takes the Team Penske IndyCar tally to 15 championships. Since Chevrolet returned to IndyCar in 2012, the Bowtie brand has captured 67 wins in 101 races, 180 podium finishes and 74 poles.

“Congratulations to driver Josef Newgarden, Roger Penske and everyone at Team Penske on this exciting championship in the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Consistent performances all season by Josef and everyone on the No. 2 Hum by Verizon Chevrolet earned this impressive title. This marks our fifth driver/owner title since the return of Chevrolet to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2012. It takes a lot of solid team work, and we are incredibly proud of Josef and Team Penske on their 2017 championship.”

Newgarden set a track record in qualifying Saturday to start from pole position, and the race lead cycled back and forth largely between himself and 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Pagenaud in the No. 1 DXC Technology Chevrolet.

Pagenaud – who completed every lap of every race in 2017 – took the lead for good on Lap 64 on his final pit stop. He won by 1.096 seconds for Chevrolet’s 10th victory of the season. It’s the sixth straight year that the Bowtie Brand has won 10 races or more.

Team Penske swept the top-three with Will Power coming home third in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet. Helio Castroneves was fifth for Team Penske in the No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet.

Chevrolet will return to competition in the Verizon IndyCar Series at the 2018 opening event on the Streets of St. Petersburg with the 2.2 liter V6 Twin Turbocharged Direct Injected engine in the all-new Dallara universal aero kit.