Thursday, April 8, 2021

IndyCar Bowtie’ Brigade Year-by-Year: 2013-2016

As can Anybody Best El Capitano’s illustrious Team Chevy Juggernaut?

 

Although I’ve been pondering this awhile now, since I know it nagged at me All last season whilst rootin’ for Pato O’Ward at SPAM’, aka Arrow McLaren SP. I suppose after reading one of IndyCar’s Oldest Blogger Geo. Phillips, Hya! Oilpressure Posts back in February about is there really A Big Four in IndyCar’s? ?

 

Oh Swell! Now George has jumped on the Pato O’Ward Bandwagon, which makes me wonder if he’s given him the Dreaded Oilpressure.com Curse?

 

Although when I hear the term Big Four, I always think of Formula 1 instead, when it had it’s Big Four which I tend to recall was McLaren, Ferrari, Williams and Lotus.

 

Uhm, the Questione I’ve been ponderin’ a really really long time is: Has there been Anybody besides the Big Three, i.e.; Penske, Ganassi and Andretti, albeit primarily Penske since Ganassi and Andretti have been Hondre’ runners a longtime as ‘Ol Leigh Diffey would say to win an IndyCar race with a Chevrolet engine?

 

As Michael Andretti switched to Honda Wayback in 2014 and promptly rewarded Honda and HPP by winning that year’s epic Indianapolis 500 when Ryan Hunter-Reay passed Castroneves in the grass to Win! While thou Cheepster’, nee Chip Ganassi switched back to Honda in 2017 after initially being part of the Bowtie’ Brigade from 2014, effectively giving Honda two “big Guns” vs. Penske and Chevy.

 

Originally I could only remember Tony Kanaan’s victory for KV Racing Technology at the 2013 Indianapolis 500 being aboard a Non Big-3 Bowtie’ runner. Yet after I started researching thou Record Books and reacquainted Thyself with le Hamburgular’, Formerly Sealmeister B’, aka Sebastian Bourdais took over Kanaan’s KVRT seat and won at Toronto in 2014, I foggily remembered SeaBass putting a Beatdown upon the IndyCar field at Milwaukee Wayback in 2015, even if they got penalized monetarily afterwards for a technical infraction.

 

2016

Season: March 13th to September 18th

Races: 16

 

Team Penske and Chevrolet thoroughly Waxed the competition, with Penske claiming ten of Chevy’s Decimating 14 wins! While four different Bowtie runners found Thar way into victory lane, albeit only when Team Penske wasn’t busy monopolizing the rostrum’s top step.

 

Juan Montoya claimed his lone W for Penske at St Pete, while relative Penske newcomer Simon Pagenaud won a total of five races en route to winning the title, including three in-a-row between Long Beach and the Indy GP. With past IndyCar Series Champion Will Power nipping at Pagenaud’s Heels with a further four W’ and finishing runner-up Overall.

 

Scott Dixon claimed a modest two wins for Ganassi. With Sebastian Bourdais winning once at Detroit’s Belle Isle, now in the rebranded KVSH Racing outfit. And Josef Newgarden once at Iowa for Ed Carpenter Racing. (ECR)

 

2015

Season: March 29th to August 30th

Races: 16

 

Although this is probably my favourite Championship of the past several years, as I still recall sitting in the Dark over the weekend we’d had an unexpected Windstorm knock our Power Out for 48-plus Hours! Which I suppose was Nothin’ compared to Texas, especially since it happened during Summer… As I blindly found an old portable AM/FM Cassette “Walkman,” and if I sat just right next to the patio’s sliding glass door and held the headphone’s wire just right without moving, I could listen to the Sonoma IndyCar Finale coming off an Everett, WA Radio Station!

 

And although I delighted in Montoya seemingly “Choking,” but obviously the entire season was Overshadowed by the Death of my Numero Uno IndyCar Driver Justin B-I-G UNIT’ Wilson at Pocono.

 

There were four different Chevrolet winners that year claiming a total of 10 victories. As Scott Dixon scored three W’s for Ganassi en route to his fourth IndyCar title, with Penske claiming three W’s; Juan Pablo Montoya netting two, including that year’s Indy 500 and Will Power winning once.

 

Josef Newgarden capped his first two IndyCar career victories for CFH Racing (Ed Carpenter, Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman) at Alabama and Toronto. Whilst Sebastian Bourdais won twice for KVRT at Belle Isle and Milwaukee.  

 

2014

Season: March 30th to August 30th

Races: 18

 

It’s Funny to Mwah, since all I really remember now about this season is that Ryan Hunter-Reay Beat Hulip’ (Castroneves) at Mother Speedway, and that I got to tell DJ Willy P’ (Will Power) in person at the Sonoma IndyCar race Autograph session: Beat this guy! When pointing to Castroneves who was seated next to him. Where Power very diplomatically said I’m Trying!

 

Which I suppose is why I’ve forgotten that four different Bowtie runners won races that season, as Chevrolet Dominated with 11 wins. With Penske scoring five, Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) three times, Ganassi winning twice, having switched this year and KV Racing Technology one W.

 

Will Power won three times for Team Penske en route to his lone IndyCar Championship, with team-mates Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya winning once apiece; Hulio’ at Belle Isle’s Double Header second race and JPM at Pocono.

 

Mike “Ice-Ice, Baby!” Conway won at Long Beach and Toronto’s Double Header second race for ECR. Whilst his boss Fast Eddie’, nee Ed Carpenter won at Texas Motor Speedway, the latest of his three IndyCar career wins to date.

 

Le Hamburgular’, nee SeaBass’ or just good ‘Ol Sebastain Bourdais won Toronto’s Double Header Race-1 for KVRT. With Scott Dixon winning twice for Ganassi.

 

2013

Season: March 24th to October 19th

Races: 19

 

Andretti Autosport and Team Penske won nine of the ten races won by Chevrolet over a 19-race season, with the only other Bowtie winner being TK’ Follow-your-Schnoz! Kanaan’s victory at Mother Speedway for KV Racing Technology, giving Chevy a total of 10 wins vs. Honda’s 9. As Chevrolet won Indianapolis, but Scott “the Iceman 2.0” Dixon won the Championship, his third of an eventual six titles to date.

 

As Thee Mayor ‘O Hinchtown, aka James Hinchcliffe won three times for Andretti, i.e.; St. Pete, Sao Paolo and Iowa, with his team-mate The Dude’, Ryan Hunter-Reay winning twice, netting Mikey A’s Squad five W’s. While DJ WillyP’, aka Will Power led Team Penske wit three wins, along with Helio Castroneves notching one victory.