An meeting of season-ending statistics compiled by the NTT IndyCar Sequence makes for an fascinating look again at a 12 months dominated by Group Penske and Chevrolet.
Each side of the 2022 season was closely influenced by the output from Penske’s champion Will Energy, runner-up Josef Newgarden and fourth-place finisher Scott McLaughlin, who was simply 12 factors shy of giving Roger Penske a 1-2-3 within the drivers’ standings.
LAPS
The primary stat of intrigue is discovered with the 2268 complete laps contested amongst these 12 street and road course races and the 5 oval contests. Inside the pool of full-time drivers, Energy and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon have been the one ones to finish each lap in each race. That each-lap distinction has occurred 5 occasions in IndyCar Sequence historical past; Dixon has carried out it twice.
On the reverse finish of the full-timers’ tally, A.J. Foyt Racing’s Kyle Kirkwood (1805) and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (1890) completed the fewest laps throughout the IndyCar calendar.
Sticking with laps, Newgarden (527), McLaughlin (433), and Energy (335) swept the highest 3 for Penske with probably the most laps led. When mixed (1295), Group Penske drivers led greater than half (57%) of the laps obtainable in 2022.
Among the many different groups, CGR was second on the laps-led listing, however it was a far cry from Penske’s achievement. With its 5 drivers, Dixon (177), Alex Palou (173), Marcus Ericsson (37), Jimmie Johnson (21) and Tony Kanaan (6) got here in with about one-third of Penske’s quantity (414), and a notably smaller share of the 2268 laps (18%).
Energy led the best way in qualifying on his technique to the brand new all-time pole complete, whereas teammate Newgarden topped the winners’ complete. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Pictures
QUALIFYING
Group Penske have been the kings of single-lap tempo as properly with Energy (5) and McLaughlin (3) rating first and second in poles. In an fascinating twist, Newgarden was the least efficient member of the trio when it was time to set the grid, scoring a single pole. Collectively, Penske’s drivers took 9 of 17 poles (53%). And with Energy’s run to P1 in Monterey, he took sole possession of first on the all-time listing (68), eclipsing Mario Andretti’s document (67) which was reached 29 years, one month, and 10 days prior.
Andretti’s 67th pole was achieved on the age of 53 at Michigan Speedway; Energy was 41 throughout his record-breaking run at Laguna Seca. Energy additionally added to his streak by incomes no less than one pole over 14 straight seasons. In one other nod to historical past, the 2022 season produced 9 completely different pole winners, probably the most since 1961.
Amongst engine producers, Chevy (13) ran away from Honda (4) in qualifying.
WINS
Though Newgarden was an rare polesitter, he led the collection with wins (5) and spearheaded Penske’s possession of this class. Like their 9 mixed poles, teammate McLaughlin (3) and Energy (1) helped Penske to amass extra wins than some other group (9) with the identical haul on complete victories (53%).
Seeking to the makers of IndyCar’s 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines, Chevy used its season-long edge to steer with wins (11) and beat Honda (6) to the producers’ championship for the primary time since 2017. Among the many Chevy-powered drivers, three received a number of races for the model (Newgarden, McLaughlin, O’Ward) whereas solely Dixon received greater than as soon as for Honda.
These two wins for Dixon allowed him to go Mario Andretti for second on the all-time win listing (53), prolonged his unbroken streak of successful no less than as soon as in every of the final 18 seasons, and whereas they aren’t consecutive, Dixon has received no less than as soon as in 20 of his 23 IndyCar championship runs.
Dixon’s consistency served him properly as soon as once more, whereas he and Chip Ganassi Racing rose to the event in chaotic road races like Nashville. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Pictures
FINISHES
When it got here to consistency and high quality ending positions, CGR held an edge over Penske with Dixon claiming first on the listing of top-10 finishes (15) with teammate Palou and Energy tied for second (13). Ericsson, McLaughlin and Newgarden have been tied for third (12).
By additional refining the listing to prime 5s, the trail to Energy’s championship is made evident as he led the class (12) by a wholesome margin over Dixon (9). Three drivers have been tied for third with McLaughlin, Newgarden, and Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward (8).
It was one other Penske 1-2-3 in races led with Newgarden and Energy (10) and McLaughlin (8) flexing their muscle mass. Of all of the stat classes, that is the one the place AMSP made its presence felt with O’Ward (7) and teammate Felix Rosenqvist (6) combining to carry second amongst groups. Palou was the one CGR driver within the combine (7).
BONUS POINTS
Some drivers have been notably adept at incomes bonus factors all through the season. With some extent for pole, some extent for main a lap, and two factors on supply for whomever led probably the most laps at every race, plus the latest introduction of Indy 500 qualifying factors for these within the Quick 12, Penske’s drivers and their outstanding performances with successful extra poles and main extra laps would lead one to count on Energy, Newgarden, or McLaughlin to rank first within the bonus-point class, however Ganassi’s Palou was the shock chief (22). Energy and Dixon (21) tied for second.
Among the many bonus-point outliers, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (18) and his boss Ed Carpenter (10) have been stable earners on this space due to their sturdy Indy 500 qualifying efforts.
If you happen to like passes, IndyCar gave you numerous to like in 2022. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Pictures
PASSES
Passing skyrocketed final season. In 2021, 3526 passes have been registered. That quantity leapt to 5881 in 2022, making for a large year-to-year enhance (67%) and the very best quantity of passes since IndyCar launched its UAK18 aero package in 2018.
INDY 500
Velocity was on show on the 106th working of the “Best Spectacle In Racing.” Dixon’s pole pace common was the quickest in historical past (234.046mph), eclipsing the late Scott Brayton’s pole pace document (233.718mph) that stood since 1996. Though it wasn’t for pole as a result of run going down on the second day of time trials in 1996, Arie Luyendyk continues to carry the all-time four-lap common at Indy (236.986mph).
Returning to 2022, the common pace of the entrance row was the quickest in historical past (233.643mph), and the identical was true for the quickest common pace for the sector of 33 starters (231.023 mph), which rose from the earlier document set in 2021 (230.294mph).
The affect of the American open-wheel coaching ladder was plain at Indy as 20 of the 33 starters (61%) hailed from the Indy Lights collection offered by Cooper Tires (Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Helio Castroneves, Conor Daly, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, Jack Harvey, Colton Herta, JR Hildebrand, Tony Kanaan, Sage Karam, Dalton Kellett, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Graham Rahal, Felix Rosenqvist, Rinus VeeKay, and Stefan Wilson).
A WEIRD ONE TO CLOSE
An odd stat was produced on the Indianapolis 500 by one-off drivers who have been born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania as a pair of hometown merchandise swapped beginnings and ends on the Speedway: Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti began 23rd and completed 22nd whereas fellow Nazarene Sage Karam of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing began 22nd and completed 23rd.
