The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series was the 18th season of the IndyCar Series and the 102nd season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 97th Indianapolis 500 held on Sunday, May 26. The 2013 season was the second to feature the Dallara DW12 chassis. Ryan Hunter-Reay entered the season as the defending drivers' champion. Chevrolet entered as the defending Manufacturers' Cup champion.
The 2013 season has featured four first-time winners, the most since 1965. Also highlighting the season is the introduction of doubleheader races, and the experimentation with standing starts at selected events. Heading into the final race of the season, two-time champion Scott Dixon led Hélio Castroneves by 25 points in a two driver fight for the championship. In a race where only nine drivers finished, Dixon finished fifth while Castroneves finished sixth, and as a result, Dixon won his third series title by 27 points. In the manufacturers' championship, Chevrolet defended their title ahead of Honda.
After Lotus decided to withdraw from the IndyCar Series due to a poor 2012 season, the 2013 season marks the first season since 2002 that the series would feature only two engine manufacturers.[1]
This was the last season to feature five time champion Dario Franchitti as in race two in Houston, Franchitti would be involved in an accident that would ultimately end his career after 12 seasons in IndyCar. This would also be the final season of E. J. Viso's IndyCar career. For 2014 and beyond, Viso would focus more on Sports cars and Stadium Super Trucks.
Confirmed entries
All chassis are composed of a Dallara DW12 "IndyCar Safety Cell" base chassis, and Dallara aerokit. All teams run Firestone tires. On December 21, 2012 Firestone signed a five-year contract extension with IndyCar. Firestone is the official supplier for IndyCar through 2018.[2]
A. J. Allmendinger, after being released by Penske Racing's NASCAR team for violating the sports substance abuse policy, returned to the team to take over the No. 2 car vacated by Ryan Briscoe.[39] Allmendinger tested with Team Penske at Sebring on February 18 and 19, 2013. Satisfied with the test results, Allmendinger drove the No. 2 at Barber, Long Beach, Detroit, the Indianapolis 500, and Fontana.[40]
E. J. Viso left KV Racing Technology to join in a 3 team alliance between his own Team Venezuela, Andretti Autosport, and HVM Racing. Andretti continued to run as a three car operation, but supplied Viso's team as a satellite fourth car in conjunction with HVM.[9]
On May 30, 2013 Panther Racing announced it was terminating its contract with driver J. R. Hildebrand by mutual consent. On the same day, the team announced Ryan Briscoe would replace Hildebrand for the races at Belle Isle.[42]
The 2013 IndyCar Series schedule was formally announced on Speed's WindTunnel with Dave Despain, on the evening of September 30, 2012.[44] The schedule consisted of nineteen races, hosted across sixteen venues. Included were three doubleheader events– with one race of the Toronto and Houston doubleheader featuring a standing start (Belle Isle will not use a standing start because of the narrowness of the start-finish area).[45] The IndyCar Triple Crown returned for the first time since 1989, featuring the races at Indianapolis, Pocono and Fontana. IndyCar offered a $1,000,000 bonus to a driver who can win all three events, with a $250,000 consolation prize if a driver can win two of the three events.[46]
IndyCar went to Pocono Raceway July 7, 2013, for a 400-mile (640km) race. It was the first open-wheel race at Pocono since 1989.[57] A contract had been signed to continue the event through 2015.[58]
The Edmonton Indy did not return after the promoter Octane Motorsports made a business decision not to promote the race in 2013. The city announced that they would not seek another promoter.[59]
The Grand Prix of Houston at Reliant Park returned to American open-wheel racing as an IndyCar Series event on October 4–6. Mi-Jack Promotions, Reliant Park, and IndyCar have signed a contract for the event through 2017. Shell has signed a 4-year title sponsorship deal for the event with dual branding of their lubricants division. The event was last run as a Champ Car event in 2007.[60][61]
IndyCar had discussions to add a twentieth round of the championship at a circuit in Europe. Venues put forward as candidates for the event include Monza, Imola, and Mugello.[62] The event failed to materialize, and the series moved its international focus towards the possibility of adding races to the series in 2015 at the earliest.[63]
Will Power dominated the early parts of the race, but dropped to 16th at the finish after contact with J. R. Hildebrand. Dario Franchitti finished last after an early crash, and defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay dropped out with mechanical problems.
Round 2: Barber
Ryan Hunter-Reay won the pole position and led 53 laps en route to victory. After a sequence of pit stops around lap 50, Hélio Castroneves led. Hunter-Reay caught up and passed Castroneves for the lead on lap 76, with Scott Dixon moving up to second. Hunter-Reay held off the charge of Dixon over the last 5–10 laps, to seal the win. Castroneves held on to finish third. Will Power started second, but slid off the track in turn one at the start, losing several positions. After working his way back to the front for two laps, he came home 5th.
Round 3: Long Beach
Takuma Sato led 50 of 80 laps, and won his first career IndyCar race at the 39th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Sato effectively took control of the race on lap 23, when he passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for second place in turn 1. After the leaders cycled through pit stops, Sato assumed the lead on lap 31, and did not relinquish the top spot for the remainder of the race. Sato's win was the first for A. J. Foyt Enterprises since 2002 and their first ever (in the team's 34th season) not on an Oval.
Top teams Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti were all shut out of the podium. In addition, contenders and Andretti teammates James Hinchcliffe and Hunter-Reay both dropped out early due to contact.
Round 4: São Paulo
In the dramatic closing laps, Takuma Sato was leading, looking for his second consecutive victory. Josef Newgarden was running second, and in third was a hard-charging James Hinchcliffe. Newgarden challenged Sato for the lead with a few laps to go, but Sato held the lead. Hinchcliffe then managed to take over second, and set his sights on Sato. On the backstretch, Hinchcliffe went side-by-side, but again Sato held the lead, with what some thought may have been intentional 'blocking.' On the final lap, Hinchcliffe again tried for the lead on the backstretch, and again Sato aggressively defended his position. At the end of the backstretch, going into the final turn, Sato slid high, and Hinchcliffe slipped by on the inside to take the win by 0.3463 seconds. At the same time, Marco Andretti made a similar pass for third place, to round out the podium.
Round 5: Indianapolis 500
A race record 68 lead changes amongst 14 different drivers highlighted the most competitive and fastest Indy 500 in history. On a restart with three laps to go, Ryan Hunter-Reay led rookie Carlos Muñoz, Tony Kanaan, and Marco Andretti. At the green flag, the top three cars went three-wide into turn one, with Kanaan taking the lead. Seconds later, Dario Franchitti hit the outside wall in turn one, bringing out the race ending final caution. Tony Kanaan completed the final two laps in the lead under yellow, and won his first Indy 500, a popular victory after eleven previous unsuccessful attempts.
Round 6: Detroit (Sat.)
The first race of the Detroit Grand Prix (IndyCar) saw part-time driver Mike Conway dominate. The series began utilizing a revised and upgraded version of the Belle Isle circuit, a layout used by CART from 1998–2001. Conway took the lead on lap 44 and led a total of 47 laps en route to victory. In the second half, Conway pulled out to an insurmountable 20-second lead at one point.
Round 7: Detroit (Sun.)
Mike Conway started from the pole position and looked to sweep the weekend of races in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit. Conway led 31 of the first 45 laps, but after a sequence of pit stops, and a failed tire strategy, was shuffled back to third in the closing stages. After a ten-car accident that took out several front-runners, the final stint shaped up as a three-car battle between Simon Pagenaud, James Jakes, and Conway. Pagenaud came to the lead when Jakes pitted on lap 58. Jakes came back out on the track close behind, with Conway charging in third. Pagenaud held off the challenge, and won his first-career IndyCar race, and the first victory for Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports.
Round 8: Texas
Hélio Castroneves dominated en route to his first win of the season, and Team Penske's first victory of 2013. Castroneves led the final 132 laps, and won over second place Ryan Hunter-Reay by 4.6919 seconds. However, Castroneves' car failed post-race inspection due to an illegal underwing. The team was fined $35,000 but Castroneves maintained the victory.
Round 9: Milwaukee
Ryan Hunter-Reay won for the second year in a row at Milwaukee, taking the lead from Takuma Sato with 53 laps to go, after executing a daring pass on Hélio Castroneves only a few laps before. Marco Andretti started on the pole and led 61 laps, but an electrical problem dropped him from contention. The combination of these events meant Hunter-Reay passed his Andretti Autosport teammate for 2nd in the championship.
Round 10: Iowa
James Hinchcliffe led 226 of 250 laps, dominating his way to victory. Second place Ryan Hunter-Reay mounted a charge in the waning laps as Hinchcliffe developed some handling problems, but fell short at the finish. Hélio Castroneves finished 8th, but held on to the championship points lead.
Round 11: Pocono
IndyCars returned to Pocono for the first time since 1989. Marco Andretti started on the pole, and dominated most of the first half. His fuel stop strategy, however, forced him to conserve late in the race, and dropped him to a 10th-place finish. Early contenders Ryan Hunter-Reay and Takuma Sato dropped out when Sato overshot the entrance to pit road, slamming into Hunter-Reay's car from behind. In the late stages, Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon, Charlie Kimball, and Dario Franchitti came to the front after a well-executed final pit stop strategy. Dixon led the Ganassi sweep of the podium, owner Chip Ganassi's first 1–2–3 sweep, the team's 100th Indycar win, and the 200th victory for Honda in the series.
Round 12: Toronto (Sat.)
The second doubleheader of the season was held at Toronto. The Saturday race was scheduled to utilize a standing start, but it was waved off when Josef Newgarden stalled on the track.[65]Scott Dixon won, while Sébastien Bourdais finished second, his first open-wheel podium since 2007.
Round 13: Toronto (Sun.)
Scott Dixon swept the second race of the doubleheader, as well as winning his third consecutive race overall. After waving off the previous day, the Sunday race utilized a standing start, the first American Indycar race to utilize a standing start in modern times.
Round 14: Mid-Ohio
Charlie Kimball became the fourth first-time winner of the season, and the 9th different winner in 14 races. Kimball took the lead for good on lap 73 of 90, and won even after crashing his primary car earlier in the weekend. Some drivers in the field were attempting to execute a two-stop strategy, but in doing so, fuel-saving measures were needed. In a race that went without a caution, Kimball's race strategist made the call to switch to a three-stop run, which allowed a much faster pace, and Kimball pulled away to a commanding victory.
On the final lap, 6th place Hélio Castroneves held off Scott Dixon at the line, allowing him to leave the weekend with a 31-point lead in the championship standings.
Round 15: Sonoma
Lucas Luhr made his IndyCar Series debut, driving the #97 Honda for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. J. R. Hildebrand drove the #98 car for Barracuda Racing. Dario Franchitti won the pole. Will Power and Scott Dixon battled most of the race, but when Dixon hit one of Power's crew members, Dixon received a drive-through penalty. Power led the final sixteen laps to take his first win of the season, and as a result, Power became the tenth different winner of the 2013 season.
The first race of the Houston doubleheader saw Scott Dixon win, and points leader Hélio Castroneves struggle. Castroneves suffered mechanical problems and came home 18th. Dixon closed the championship deficit to 8 points with two events remaining.
Round 18: Houston (Sun.)
The second race of the Houston doubleheader was won by Will Power, and Scott Dixon came home second. For the second day in a row, Hélio Castroneves suffered gearbox troubles, which relegated him to a 23rd-place finish. Dixon took the points lead for the first time, holding a 25-point advantage with one race left.
This race however was marred by a major crash involving Dario Franchitti, Takuma Sato and E. J. Viso on the final lap. Franchitti touched wheels with Sato and his car was launched up into the catch fence. Debris injured thirteen spectators, while Franchitti was hospitalized with a concussion, fractured ankle, and two spinal fractures; these injuries forced him to retire from racing. Sato and Viso were uninjured.
Will Power, from the pole, quickly lost the lead to a faster Sébastien Bourdais who dominated the first quarter of the race. Meanwhile, Castroneves went from 10th to 5th place and watched the battle for the lead between Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Bourdais and a fast Carlos Muñoz while Dixon kept the pace in 15th place.
At the checkered flag Will Power finally grabbed the win at Fontana, followed by Ed Carpenter and Tony Kanaan. Dixon finished in 5th place, which was enough to give him the season title, while Castroneves had a tough night and finished 6th. Dixon become the new Indycar Series Champion, winning previously in 2003 and 2008 making him a three time champion. This race was also a battle of attrition as only 9 of the 25 starters finished the race.
Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.
Driver standings
One point is awarded to any driver who leads at least one lap during a race. Two additional points are awarded to the driver who leads the most laps in a race.
Bonus points are awarded for qualifying performance:
At all tracks except Indianapolis and Iowa, the driver who qualifies on pole earns one point.
In qualifying for race two of a double header weekend, the fastest driver in each of the two qualifying groups receives a bonus point.
At Indianapolis, drivers who advance to Q2 earn bonus points. Drivers who qualify tenth through twenty-fourth earn four qualifying points, and the remaining qualifying drivers earn three points.
At Iowa, the third-place driver in the first two heat races earn one bonus. The ten drivers who qualified for the third heat race earn points based on the result of that race.
↑ Not considered a rookie due to prior Champ Car experience.
↑ Franchitti, the fastest qualifier from the Fast Six shootout, was assessed a 10-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. E. J. Viso, who qualified 2nd, was the highest-placed driver not to have a penalty, and thus started the race from pole position. Franchitti earned the pole-winner's championship point.
↑ The qualification format for the second Detroit doubleheader race featured two separate qualification groups, with the fastest qualifier in each group earning a championship point; the faster of the two group fastest qualifiers would then start on pole, while the other would start from the outside of the front row. James Jakes earned the second championship point and started from the outside of the front row.
↑ The starting lineup for the event was formed via three 50-lap heat races; the third of which, decided the top ten starting order for the race. Castroneves, the winner of that race, was assessed a 10-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Will Power, who finished 2nd, was the highest-placed driver not to have a penalty, and thus started the race from pole position. Castroneves earned the pole-winner's nine championship points.
↑ The qualification format for the second Toronto doubleheader race featured two separate qualification groups, with the fastest qualifier in each group earning a championship point; the faster of the two group fastest qualifiers would then start on pole, while the other would start from the outside of the front row. Dario Franchitti earned the second championship point and started from the outside of the front row.
↑ The qualification format for the first Houston doubleheader race was altered due to track delays. It featured two separate qualification groups, with the fastest qualifier in each group earning a championship point; the faster of the two group fastest qualifiers would then start on pole, while the other would start from the outside of the front row. Will Power earned the second championship point and started from the outside of the front row.
↑ Qualifying was canceled, due to heavy rain. The grid order was established by entrant points prior to the event, but Castroneves was not awarded the pole-winner's championship point.
Related Research Articles
The 2008 Nikon Indy 300 was a non-championship Indycar exhibition race that was held 19th and final race of the 2008 IndyCar Series season. It was held on 26 October 2008 at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in Queensland, Australia.
The 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton was an IndyCar race that took place on July 25, 2010, at Edmonton City Centre Airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was the eleventh round of the 2010 IndyCar Series, the third Edmonton Indy in the series, and the race's sixth anniversary. Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon won the 95-lap race after starting third. Team Penske's Will Power finished second, and Dixon's teammate Dario Franchitti finished third.
The 96th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 2012. It was the premier event of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. For the first time since 1996 all entries featured turbocharged engines, and all entries were brand new model-year chassis, as part of the ICONIC Project. This was the first time since 2003, and only the fourth time since 1985, that all cars were a new model-year chassis.
The 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was the first race of the 2012 IndyCar Series season. It was held on March 25, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida on the city's temporary street course, and was won by Hélio Castroneves.
The 2012 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by ShopAutoWeek.com was an IZOD IndyCar Series race that was held on June 3, 2012, on The Raceway on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. It was the sixth race of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Originally scheduled to run over 90 laps, it was shortened to 60 laps. The race was won by Scott Dixon for the Chip Ganassi Racing team. Dario Franchitti finished second, and Simon Pagenaud clinched third.
The 2013 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was the first race of the 2013 IndyCar Series season, with the race taking place on March 24 in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the city's temporary street course. The race was won by James Hinchcliffe, his first ever victory in the IndyCar Series, coming at his 33rd attempt.
The 98th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2014. It is the premier event of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Tony Kanaan entered the race as the defending champion. Ed Carpenter won the pole position, his second consecutive pole at Indy. The race was won by Ryan Hunter-Reay, the first American-born winner since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006. Hunter-Reay held off second place Hélio Castroneves by a margin of 0.0600 seconds, the second-closest finish in race history. At an average speed of 186.563 mph (300.244 km/h), it was also the second-fastest 500 in history. Marco Andretti, Carlos Muñoz, and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top five. Kurt Busch, in sixth position, claimed Rookie of the Year honors.
The 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was the 39th annual running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and is also the third race of the 2013 IndyCar Series season, taking place on April 21, 2013 in Long Beach, California on its temporary street circuit. The race was won by Takuma Sato of A. J. Foyt Enterprises.
The 2013 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Presented by DEKALB, the seventh annual running of the event, was an IndyCar Series race held on June 23, 2013 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. The race was the tenth round of the 2013 IndyCar Series season, and was won by James Hinchcliffe of Andretti Autosport.
The 2013 Milwaukee IndyFest was an IndyCar Series race held on June 15, 2013 at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. The race was the ninth in the 2013 IndyCar Series season, and was won by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport.
The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series was the 19th season of the IndyCar Series and the 103rd season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 98th Indianapolis 500, held on Sunday, May 25. Scott Dixon entered the season as the defending IndyCar Champion, while Chevrolet entered as the reigning Manufacturers' champion.
The 2013 Pocono IndyCar 400 fueled by Sunoco, the twentieth running of the event, was an IndyCar Series race held on July 7, 2013, at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was the eleventh in the 2013 IndyCar Series season. The event made a return to the IndyCar schedule after a 23-year hiatus. Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport won the pole position, while Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon won the race.
The 2013 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the 35th running of the event, was an IndyCar Series race held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 4, 2013. It was the 14th race in the 2013 IndyCar Series season. The pole position was held by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport, while Chip Ganassi Racing's Charlie Kimball won the race.
The 2013 GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma was an IndyCar Series race held on August 25, 2013 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. The race was the fifteenth of the 2013 IndyCar Series season, and was won by Will Power of Team Penske.
The 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore, the third running of the event, was an IndyCar Series race held on September 1, 2013 on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. The race was the sixteenth of the 2013 IndyCar Series season, and was the final running of the Grand Prix of Baltimore. Scott Dixon started on the pole position, while Simon Pagenaud of Sam Schmidt Motorsports won the race.
The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series was the 20th season of the IndyCar Series and the 104th season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 99th Indianapolis 500, which was held on May 24. Will Power returned as the reigning champion, while Ryan Hunter-Reay was the defending Indy 500 champion. Chevrolet entered the season as the reigning Manufacturers' champion. Indianapolis 500 and the season finale counted for double points.
The 2016 Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans was the only doubleheader event of the 2016 IndyCar Series, consisting of both the seventh and eighth rounds of the championship. The event took place at the Raceway at Belle Isle, a temporary street circuit in Detroit, Michigan. Both races were contested over 70 laps. The race marked the seventh time that the course had been used for IndyCar Series racing and the fourth time that the venue had featured a doubleheader weekend with two races.
The 2017 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was the second round of the 2017 IndyCar Series and the 43rd annual running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The race was contested over 85 laps on a temporary street circuit in Long Beach, California on April 9, 2017. Hélio Castroneves won the pole, while James Hinchcliffe won the race.
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Corporation was the lone doubleheader event of the 2017 IndyCar Series season, consisting of the 7th and 8th rounds of the championship. The event was held at the Raceway at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. Graham Rahal dominated the weekend, leading the most laps and winning both races.
The 2017 Honda Indy Toronto was an IndyCar Series event held on July 16, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The race served as the 12th round of the 2017 IndyCar Series season. Frenchman Simon Pagenaud qualified on pole position, while American Josef Newgarden took victory in the race.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Scott Dixon 
Chevrolet 
Tristan Vautier 
Tony Kanaan 
