2012 IndyCar Series

American auto racing season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series[1] was the 17th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 101st season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 96th Indianapolis 500, held on Sunday, May 27. The series was sanctioned by IndyCar, and took place in three countries on two continents. Chevrolet returned to the series for the first time since 2005 while Lotus debuted, with the latter leaving the IndyCar Series after the 2012 season due to poor performance.

Races15
Start dateMarch 25
End dateSeptember 15
Drivers' championUnited States Ryan Hunter-Reay
Quick facts Season, Races ...
2012 IndyCar season
IZOD IndyCar Series
Season
Races15
Start dateMarch 25
End dateSeptember 15
Awards
Drivers' championUnited States Ryan Hunter-Reay
Manufacturers' CupUnited States Chevrolet
Rookie of the YearFrance Simon Pagenaud
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited Kingdom Dario Franchitti
Discipline champions
Oval championUnited States Ryan Hunter-Reay
Road course championAustralia Will Power
 2011
2013 
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Ryan Hunter-Reay (left) won his first Drivers' Championship while Will Power (right) finished second in the championship

Three-time defending IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti entered the season seeking his fourth consecutive championship and fifth overall. Meanwhile, two-time championship runner up Will Power sought his first title. Heading into the final race of the season, Power led Ryan Hunter-Reay by 17 points in a two driver fight for the championship.[2] After Power wrecked on lap 55, Hunter-Reay was able to finish 4th, and claimed the championship by 3 points.[3]

Among the numerous stories going into the season was the departure of Danica Patrick, who left IndyCar to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Joining the series was former Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello. A highlight of the season was the introduction of a new chassis and engine package.

After losing Las Vegas as a venue in the aftermath of the death of Dan Wheldon, the series welcomed the return of such venues as Detroit and Fontana. In addition, midway through the season, the inaugural Indy Qingdao 600 scheduled to take place in China was cancelled by the promoter.[4]

It was a triumphant return for Chevrolet after returning from a 6-year absence, and an average year for Honda topped by an unexpectedly good performance at the 500 after poor qualifying, and thus Chevrolet ended the Japanese engine manufacturer's nine-year supremacy.

Drivers and teams

All chassis are composed of a Dallara DW12 "IndyCar Safety Cell" base and aerokit in 2012. All teams will run Firestone tires.

More information Team, Engine ...
Team Engine No. Driver(s) Rounds
A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 14 United Kingdom Mike Conway 1–14
New Zealand Wade Cunningham  R  15
41 5
Andretti Autosport Chevrolet 26 United States Marco Andretti All
27 Canada James Hinchcliffe All
28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay All
AFS Racing / Andretti Autosport 17 Colombia Sebastián Saavedra 5, 13, 15
Andretti Autosport / Conquest Racing 25 Brazil Ana Beatriz 4–5
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon All
10 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti All
38 United States Graham Rahal All
83 United States Charlie Kimball 1–11, 13–15
Italy Giorgio Pantano  R  1 12
Dale Coyne Racing Honda 18 United Kingdom Justin Wilson All
19 United Kingdom James Jakes All
Dragon Racing2 3 Lotus
Chevrolet
6 United Kingdom Katherine Legge  R  1–5, 7–9, 13, 15
7 France Sébastien Bourdais 1–6, 10–14
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing2 4
Lotus
Chevrolet
22 Spain Oriol Servià All
Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 20 United States Ed Carpenter All
KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 5 Venezuela E. J. Viso All
8 Brazil Rubens Barrichello[N 1] All
KV Racing Technology with SH 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan All
Lotus–Fan Force United Lotus 64 France Jean Alesi  R  5
Lotus–HVM Racing Lotus 78 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro All
Panther Racing Chevrolet 4 United States J. R. Hildebrand All
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 15 Japan Takuma Sato All
30 Mexico Michel Jourdain Jr. 5
Schmidt–Hamilton Motorsports Honda 77 France Simon Pagenaud  R  All
99 United States Townsend Bell 5
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 39 United States Bryan Clauson  R  5
67 United States Josef Newgarden  R  1–13, 15
Brazil Bruno Junqueira6 14
Team Barracuda – BHA2 5 Lotus
Honda
98 Canada Alex Tagliani 1–3, 5–15
Team Penske Chevrolet 2 Australia Ryan Briscoe All
3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves All
12 Australia Will Power All
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Notes

(R) Rookie

1.^ Charlie Kimball broke his hand in an accident while testing at Mid-Ohio on July 26.[5] Pantano replaced Kimball for the subsequent race at Mid-Ohio.[6]
2.^ Team Barracuda – BHA, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Dragon Racing terminated their Lotus engine contracts prior to the Indianapolis 500.
3.^ Dragon Racing was reduced to a single-car team following the Indianapolis 500, as engine supplier Chevrolet could not supply engines for both cars. Bourdais was named to drive on the remaining road and street courses, and Legge was named to drive on the remaining ovals[7] and Sonoma.
4.^ Dreyer & Reinbold Racing formed a strategic alliance with Panther Racing prior to the Indianapolis 500, and obtained Panther's second Chevrolet engine contract.[8][9]
5.^ Team Barracuda – BHA skipped the São Paulo race to concentrate on preparations for the Indy 500.
6.^ Josef Newgarden broke his left index finger in an accident during the Sonoma race. Junqueira replaced Newgarden for the following race at Baltimore.[10]

Team and driver changes

The ICONIC Project

The IndyCar Car ICONIC Project.

The 2012 season saw the implementation of IndyCar's new ICONIC Plan (Innovative, Competitive, Open-wheel, New, Industry-relevant, Cost-effective), the biggest change to the sport in recent history. The car used through 2011, a 2003/2007-model Dallara IR-03, and normally aspirated V8 engines (required since 1997) were permanently retired. The ICONIC committee was composed of experts and executives from racing and technical fields: Randy Bernard, William R. Looney III, Brian Barnhart, Gil de Ferran, Tony Purnell, Eddie Gossage, Neil Ressler, Tony Cotman and Rick Long.[51] IndyCar accepted proposals from BAT Engineering, Dallara, DeltaWing, Lola and Swift for chassis design.[52] On July 14, 2010, the final decision was made public, with organisers accepting the Dallara proposal.[52]

New chassis

Under the new ICONIC regulations, all teams will compete with a core rolling chassis, called the "IndyCar Safety Cell",[52] developed by Italian designer Dallara. Teams will then outfit the chassis with separate body work, referred to as "Aero Kits", which consist of front and rear wings, sidepods, and engine cowlings.[52] Development of Aero Kits is open to any manufacturer, with all packages to be made available to all teams for a maximum price. ICONIC committee member Tony Purnell gave an open invitation to car manufacturers and companies such as Lockheed Martin and GE to develop kits.[53]

The IndyCar Safety cell will be capped at a price of $349,000[54] and will be assembled at a new Dallara facility in Speedway, Indiana. Aero Kits will be capped at $70,000.[54] Teams have the option of buying a complete Dallara safety cell/aero kit for a discounted price.[54]

On May 12, 2011, Dallara unveiled the first concept cars, one apiece in oval and road course Aero Kit configuration.[55]

On April 30, 2011, IndyCar owners voted 15–0 to reject the introduction of multiple Aero Kits for the 2012 season, citing costs.[56] Owners expressed their desire to introduce the new chassis/engines for 2012, but have all participants use the Dallara aerodynamic package in 2012, and delay the introduction of multiple aero kits until 2013. On August 14, 2011, IndyCar confirmed that the introduction of multiple Aero Kits would be delayed until 2013 for "economic reasons,"[57] and furthermore, it was put off for 2013 as well. Chevrolet and Lotus had already announced their intention to build aero kits.[58][59][60][61]

2011 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon carried out the first official test of the Dallara chassis at Mid-Ohio in August 2011.[62] Following Wheldon's death at the season-ending race in Las Vegas, Dallara announced that the 2012 chassis would be named the DW12 in his honor.[63][64]

Despite the generational change of chassis and engines, the wheel rim and Firestone Firehawk tire sizes would remain same until at least 2024 season.

Fuel cell capacity

The fuel cell capacity of the new Dallara DW12 car was reduced from 22 US gallons (83 litres) to 18.5 US gallons (70 litres) in an effort of fuel efficiency.

Engine formula

Turbochargers returned to the IndyCar Series for the first time since the IRL 1996 and Champ Car 2007 seasons respectively after one-year delay. The newly-revolutionary third generation fuel-efficient engines are single and twin-turbocharged engines, tuned to produce a range of 550–700 horsepower (410–520 kW) with a 12,000 RPM limit.[65][66][67] The maximum engine displacement was reduced from 3.5 to 2.2 litres (214 to 134 cubic inches), the number of cylinders were scaled-down from eight to six and the engine shape will remain V-shaped. All engines will run E85 fuel; from 2007 to 2011, the series utilized 100% fuel grade ethanol.[59][68] The turbochargers are provided by BorgWarner. The third generation of IndyCar Series engines would be used until 2027 season.

Suppliers

On November 12, 2010, Chevrolet was confirmed as an engine supplier for 2012 with a twin turbo V6. The initial list of potential suppliers included Ford, Cosworth, and Mazda.[69] Honda announced a 2.2-liter turbo V6 developed fully by Honda Performance Development.[70] On May 27, 2011, Ganassi and Honda announced their partnership renewal for 2012.[71] On August 19, 2010, Cosworth announced their interest in providing an inline-four engine,[72] however, the plan was eventually scrapped. The Chevrolet engine is built in a joint effort with Ilmor who last time partnered Chevrolet in 1997–2002 (1997–2001 as Oldsmobile) and Honda in 2003–2011, and was introduced in full-works partnership with Penske Racing.[58][11]

The third engine supplier was announced November 18, 2010 at the LA Auto Show, just prior to the league deadline. Lotus announced a twin turbo V6 engine[73] and an Aero Kit.[59] built in a partnership with John Judd and Jack Brabham (Engine Developments Ltd.) Judd engines were used in the CART series and at the Indy 500 from 1987 to 1992, as well as in sports car racing and F1. Lotus has suffered difficulty in both power and delivery of engines and has since pulled out of the sport.

Confirmed engine suppliers

The arrival of Chevrolet and Lotus as IndyCar Series engine suppliers were marked the return of multiple engine suppliers since 2005 season when Chevrolet and Toyota were Honda engine competitors.

Rule changes

  • Any engine changes for an engine that has run less than 1,850 miles will result in 10-place grid penalty at the next race. Further, full-time entries are limited to 5 engines per season.[74] There will be two exceptions:
    • If an engine fails during a race, in which a new engine may be installed for the next event without penalty.[75]
    • At Indianapolis, all engine penalties will be served at the next race at Detroit. Further, all full-time season entries will receive a new engine penalty-free between Bump Day & Carb Day.[76]
  • Beginning at Long Beach for all remaining road/street course events, the pits will remain open throughout non-emergency full-course cautions periods. Previously the pits immediately closed upon the display of the caution flag. The series hopes this will shorten caution periods to as few as two laps.[77]
  • Also beginning at Long Beach for all remaining road/street course events, cars that are not on the lead lap during an upcoming restart in the final 20 laps will peel off and drive through pit lane on the speed limiter and cycle back to the end of the line. The rule was later expanded to oval races as well, where lead-lap cars will simply drive to the front in position order instead. This is similar to NASCAR's restart procedure, where all lapped cars must move to the rear of the field.[77]
  • For the races at Indianapolis, Texas, and California, restarts will revert to single-file in response to safety concerns.[78]

Schedule

The 2012 schedule included the following 15 races:

More information Icon, Legend ...
Icon Legend
 O  Oval/Speedway
 R  Road course
 S  Street circuit
C Cancelled race
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Schedule development

Existing race contracts

New/Returning races

Potential races

  • A fifteen-race calendar was announced in December 2011; however, amid speculation of a race being organized in Fort Lauderdale, it was reported in January 2012 that the series needed sixteen races in order to fulfill obligations to sponsors.[93]
  • After the cancellation of the China race, it was believed that IndyCar would need to replace it to fulfill sponsorship obligations. Road America, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Michigan, and a second race at Texas were considered.[94] However, on June 25, IndyCar announced that the schedule would remain at 15 races.

Discontinued races

Cancelled race

  • The series was supposed to visit China for the first time; the Indy Qingdao 600 was to be held on a 3.87-mile street circuit in Qingdao over the weekend of August 19,[99] with plans to build a permanent road course for future seasons.[100] However, this race was cancelled by the promoter on June 13.[4]

Testing

The first official test of the Dallara DW12 chassis was carried out by Dan Wheldon at Mid-Ohio on August 8, 2011.[62][101] Phase I of testing involved Wheldon, and was planned to involve three road courses and three ovals, over a total of about twelve days. The second test was held August 18 at Barber,[102] and the third was held on the USGP road course at Indianapolis on September 1.[103] Oval tests took place in September at Iowa[104] and Indianapolis.[105]

Honda (Scott Dixon) and Chevrolet (Will Power) began Phase II of on-track testing at Mid-Ohio in early October.[106] A scheduled test at Las Vegas was cancelled after the fatal crash of Dan Wheldon. Testing resumed in late October and continued through February at several venues including Sebring,[107] Fontana,[108] Homestead,[109] Phoenix,[110] and Sonoma.[111] Lotus first took to the track on January 12 at Palm Beach,[112] and testing by individual teams began on January 16.[113]

A full-field official open test took place on March 5–6 & 8–9, 2012 at Sebring International Raceway.[114]

Full-field oval open tests are scheduled for April 4, 2012 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway[115] and for May 7, 2012 at Texas Motor Speedway.[116]

Results

More information Rd., Race ...
Rd. Race Pole position Fastest lap Most laps led Race Winner Report
Driver Team Manufacturer
1 St. Petersburg Australia Will Power Australia Will Power New Zealand Scott Dixon Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet Report
2 Barber Brazil Hélio Castroneves Australia Will Power New Zealand Scott Dixon Australia Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet Report
3 Long Beach Australia Ryan Briscoe[N 2] Brazil Tony Kanaan France Simon Pagenaud Australia Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet Report
4 São Paulo Australia Will Power United States Josef Newgarden Australia Will Power Australia Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet Report
5 Indianapolis Australia Ryan Briscoe United States Marco Andretti United States Marco Andretti United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Report
6 Detroit New Zealand Scott Dixon United Kingdom Justin Wilson New Zealand Scott Dixon New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Report
7 Texas Canada Alex Tagliani Australia Ryan Briscoe New Zealand Scott Dixon United Kingdom Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing Honda Report
8 Milwaukee United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United States Ryan Hunter-Reay United States Ryan Hunter-Reay United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Chevrolet Report
9 Iowa United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United States Ed Carpenter Brazil Hélio Castroneves United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Chevrolet Report
10 Toronto United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United States Josef Newgarden United States Ryan Hunter-Reay United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Chevrolet Report
11 Edmonton United States Ryan Hunter-Reay[N 3] United States Josef Newgarden Canada Alex Tagliani Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet Report
12 Mid-Ohio Australia Will Power Spain Oriol Servià Australia Will Power New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Report
13 Sonoma Australia Will Power United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Australia Will Power Australia Ryan Briscoe Team Penske Chevrolet Report
14 Baltimore Australia Will Power Australia Will Power Australia Will Power United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Chevrolet Report
15 Fontana United States Marco Andretti United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United States Ed Carpenter United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet Report
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Race summaries

Round 1 – St. Petersburg

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 5 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 100 1:59:50.9863
2 6 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 100 +5.5292
3 3 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 100 +7.5824
Race average speed: 90.113 mph (145.023 km/h)
Official Box Score: Report
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Round 2 – Barber

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 9 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 90 2:01:40.1127
2 3 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 90 +3.3709
3 1 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 90 +19.1150
Race average speed: 102.081 mph (164.283 km/h)
Official Box Score: Report
Close

Round 3 – Long Beach

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
38th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 12 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 85 1:54:01.6082
2 4 77 France Simon Pagenaud  R  Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports 85 +0.8675
3 16 27 Canada James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport 85 +13.2719
Race average speed: 88.021 mph (141.656 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 4 – São Paulo

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 1 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 75 2:08:18.2816
2 5 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 75 +0.9045
3 25 15 Japan Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 75 +2.3905
Race average speed: 88.945 mph (143.143 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 5 – Indianapolis

More information Top Three Finishers, Pos ...
96th Indianapolis 500
Top Three Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 16 50 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 200 2:58:51.2532
2 15 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +0.0295
3 8 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan KV Racing Technology 200 +0.0677
Race average speed: 167.734 mph (269.942 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
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Round 6 – Detroit

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by ShopAutoWeek.com
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 60 1:27:39.5053
2 14 10 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 60 + 1.9628
3 4 77 France Simon Pagenaud  R  Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports 60 + 2.4773
Race average speed: 88.945 mph (143.143 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
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Round 7 – Texas

More information Top Three Finishers, Pos ...
Firestone 550
Top Three Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 17 18 United Kingdom Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 228 1:59:02.0131
2 3 38 United States Graham Rahal Chip Ganassi Racing 228 + 3.9202
3 10 2 Australia Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 228 + 5.8619
Race average speed: 167.217 mph (269.110 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 8 – Milwaukee

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Milwaukee IndyFest presented by XYQ
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 2 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 225 1:52:17:8119
2 6 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan KV Racing Technology 225 + 5.1029
3 8 27 Canada James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport 225 + 7.2715
Race average speed: 122.020 mph (196.372 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 9 – Iowa

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Iowa Corn Indy 250
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 7 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 250 1:43:39.3031
2 3 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport 250 +0.1103
3 19 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan KV Racing Technology 250 +2.7248
Race average speed: 129.371 mph (208.202 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 10 – Toronto

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Honda Indy Toronto
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 7 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 85 1:33:26.5096
2 13 83 United States Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing 85 +0.0757
3 11 14 United Kingdom Mike Conway A. J. Foyt Enterprises 85 +0.2848
Race average speed: 0.000
Official Box Score: REPORT
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Round 11 – Edmonton

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Edmonton Indy
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 5 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 75 1:38:50.9294
2 3 15 Japan Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 75 +0.8367
3 17 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 75 +5.3697
Race average speed: 101.246 mph (162.940 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 12 – Mid-Ohio

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 4 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 85 1:39:48.5083
2 1 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 85 + 3.4619
3 3 77 France Simon Pagenaud  R  Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports 85 + 4.5402
Race average speed: 115.379 mph (185.685 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 13 – Sonoma

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 2 2 Australia Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 85 2:07:02.8248
2 1 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske 85 +0.4408
3 6 10 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 85 + 1.0497
Race average speed: 95.740 mph (154.079 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 14 – Baltimore

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 10 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 75 2:09:02.9522
2 11 2 Australia Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 75 +1.4391
3 9 77 France Simon Pagenaud  R  Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports 75 + 3.0253
Race average speed: 71.136 mph (114.482 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Round 15 – Fontana

More information Podium Finishers, Pos ...
MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships
Podium Finishers
PosGridNo.DriverTeamLapsTime
1 5 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing 250 2:57:34.7433
2 9 10 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 250 + 1.9
3 15 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 250 + 2.6
Race average speed: 168.939 mph (271.881 km/h)
Official Box Score: REPORT
Close

Points standings

  • 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, the driver who qualifies on pole earns one 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.
More information Pos, Driver ...
Pos Driver STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
1 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay 3 12 6 2 273 7 21 1* 1 1* 7 24 18 1 4 468
2 Australia Will Power 7 1 1 1* 285 4 8 12 23 15 3 2* 2* 6* 24 465
3 New Zealand Scott Dixon 2* 2* 23 17 215 1* 18* 11 4 25 10 1 13 4 3 435
4 Brazil Hélio Castroneves 1 3 13 4 106 17 7 6 6* 6 1 16 6 10 5 431
5 France Simon Pagenaud  RY  6 5 2* 12 1623 3 6 13 5 12 20 3 7 3 15 387
6 Australia Ryan Briscoe 5 14 7 25 51 16 3 14 18 19 8 7 1 2 17 370
7 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti 13 10 15 5 116 2 14 19 25 17 6 17 3 13 2 363
8 Canada James Hinchcliffe 4 6 3 6 62 21 4 3 17 22 12 5 26 15 13 358
9 Brazil Tony Kanaan 25 21 4 13 38 6 11 2 3 4 18 6 10 20 18 351
10 United States Graham Rahal 12 4 24 16 1312 19 2 9 9 23 4 11 5 11 6 333
11 United States J. R. Hildebrand 19 15 5 7 1418 14 5 22 22 7 21 9 8 12 11 294
12 Brazil Rubens Barrichello  R  17 8 9 10 1110 25 24 10 7 11 13 15 4 5 22 289
13 Spain Oriol Servià 16 13 16 11 427 5 20 4 21 5 24 25 19 7 19 287
14 Japan Takuma Sato 22 24 8 3 1719 20 22 20 12 9 2 13 27 21 7 281
15 United Kingdom Justin Wilson 10 19 10 22 721 22 1 23 10 21 9 18 11 17 23 278
16 United States Marco Andretti 14 11 25 14 24*4 11 17 15 2 16 14 8 25 14 8 278
17 Canada Alex Tagliani 15 26 21 1211 10 9 7 16 10 5* 10 9 8 20 272
18 United States Ed Carpenter 18 22 14 21 2128 12 12 8 8 18 22 22 20 25 1* 261
19 United States Charlie Kimball 9 25 18 8 814 8 23 17 11 2 19 21 18 10 260
20 Venezuela E. J. Viso 8 18 12 9 189 18 19 5 24 20 16 20 16 9 25 244
21 United Kingdom Mike Conway 20 7 22 19 2929 9 16 16 20 3 11 21 14 16 233
22 United Kingdom James Jakes 26 16 11 15 1517 23 10 21 13 8 25 19 12 24 12 232
23 United States Josef Newgarden  R  11 17 26 23 257 15 13 25 19 13 17 12 23 16 200
24 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro 24 20 20 24 3232 13 25 24 14 24 23 23 17 22 26 182
25 France Sébastien Bourdais 21 9 17 18 2025 24 14 15 4 22 23 173
26 United Kingdom Katherine Legge  R  23 23 19 26 2230 15 18 15 24 9 137
27 Colombia Sebastián Saavedra 2624 15 21 41
28 New Zealand Wade Cunningham  R  3126 14 29
29 Brazil Ana Beatriz 20 2313 28
30 United States Townsend Bell 920 26
31 Italy Giorgio Pantano  R  14 16
32 Mexico Michel Jourdain Jr. 1922 16
33 United States Bryan Clauson  R  3031 13
34 France Jean Alesi  R  3333 13
35 Brazil Bruno Junqueira 19 12
Pos Driver STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
Color Result
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th–10th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
White Did Not Start
(DNS)
Race abandoned
(C)
BlankDid not
participate
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
(1 point; except Indy)
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
(2 points)
DNS Any driver who qualifies
but does not start (DNS),
earns half the points
had they taken part.
1–33 Indy 500 qualifying
results, with points
as follows:
15 points for 1st
13 points for 2nd
and so on down to
3 points for 25th to 33rd.
c Qualifying canceled
no bonus point awarded
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie
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Entrant standings

  • Based on the entrant, used for oval qualifications order, and starting grids when qualifying is cancelled.
  • Only full-time entrants, and at-large part-time entrants shown.
More information Pos, Driver ...
Pos Driver STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
1 #28 Andretti Autosport 3 12 6 2 273 7 21 1* 1 1* 7 24 18 1 4 468
2 #12 Team Penske 7 1 1 1* 285 4 8 12 23 15 3 2* 2* 6* 24 465
3 #9 Chip Ganassi Racing 2* 2* 23 17 215 1* 18* 11 4 25 10 1 13 4 3 435
4 #3 Team Penske 1 3 13 4 106 17 7 6 6* 6 1 16 6 10 5 431
5 #77 Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports 6 5 2* 12 1623 3 6 13 5 12 20 3 7 3 15 387
6 #2 Team Penske 5 14 7 25 51 16 3 14 18 19 8 7 1 2 17 370
7 #10 Chip Ganassi Racing 13 10 15 5 116 2 14 19 25 17 6 17 3 13 2 363
8 #27 Andretti Autosport 4 6 3 6 62 21 4 3 17 22 12 5 26 15 13 358
9 #11 KV Racing Technology with SH 25 21 4 13 38 6 11 2 3 4 18 6 10 20 18 351
10 #38 Chip Ganassi Racing 12 4 24 16 1312 19 2 9 9 23 4 11 5 11 6 333
11 #4 Panther Racing 19 15 5 7 1418 14 5 22 22 7 21 9 8 12 11 294
12 #8 KV Racing Technology 17 8 9 10 1110 25 24 10 7 11 13 15 4 5 22 289
13 #22 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 16 13 16 11 427 5 20 4 21 5 24 25 19 7 19 2821
14 #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 22 24 8 3 1719 20 22 20 12 9 2 13 27 21 7 281
15 #26 Andretti Autosport 14 11 25 14 24*4 11 17 15 2 16 14 8 25 14 8 278
16 #83 Chip Ganassi Racing 9 25 18 8 814 8 23 17 11 2 19 14 21 18 10 276
17 #18 Dale Coyne Racing 10 19 10 22 721 22 1 23 10 21 9 18 11 17 23 2732
18 #98 Bryan Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian 15 26 21 1211 10 9 7 16 10 5* 10 9 8 20 272
19 #20 Ed Carpenter Racing 18 22 14 21 2128 12 12 8 8 18 22 22 20 25 1* 2603
20 #5 KV Racing Technology 8 18 12 9 189 18 19 5 24 20 16 20 16 9 25 244
21 #14 A. J. Foyt Racing 20 7 22 19 2929 9 16 16 20 3 11 21 14 16 14 2394
22 #19 Dale Coyne Racing 26 16 11 15 1517 23 10 21 13 8 25 19 12 24 12 232
23 #67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing 11 17 26 23 257 15 13 25 19 13 17 12 23 19 16 212
24 #78 Lotus–HVM Racing 24 20 20 24 3232 13 25 24 14 24 23 23 17 22 26 182
25 #7 Dragon Racing 21 9 17 18 2025 24 14 15 4 22 23 173
26 #6 Dragon Racing 23 23 19 26 2230 15 18 15 24 9 137
Pos Driver STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
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  1. ^ The #22 entry was penalized 5 points for a post-race technical infraction at Indianapolis.
  2. ^ The #18 entry was penalized 5 points for a post-race technical infraction at Texas.
  3. ^ The #20 entry was penalized 1 point for a post-race technical infraction at Texas.
  4. ^ The #14 entry was penalized 10 points for a post-race technical infraction at Toronto

Manufacturers' Championship

More information Pos, Manufacturer ...
Pos Manufacturer STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
1 Chevrolet 1 1 1 1 3 4 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 123
2 Honda 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 7 4 2 2 1 3 3 2 102
3 Lotus 15 9 16 11 32 13 DNS 24 14 24 23 23 17 22 26 60
Pos Manufacturer STP BAR LBH SAO INDY BEL TMS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SON BAL CAL Pts
Color Result Points
Gold1st place9
Silver2nd place6
Bronze3rd place4
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  • Manufacturers' Championship points are awarded based on the finishing position of the highest finishing car of each respective manufacturer at each round.[125]

Broadcasting

For 2012, as in recent years, the IndyCar Series schedule split its television coverage between ESPN on ABC and NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). The season finale returned to NBC Sports Network after airing on ABC in 2011.

As a result of logistics, NBC Sports Network aired 2012 Summer Olympics coverage during the time and ESPN's broadcast and production crew were working the NASCAR Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250 during a split race weekend for the two NASCAR national series), the August 5 race at Mid Ohio that aired on ABC used the NBC Sports Network crew.[126]

In addition to qualifying and race broadcasts, NBC Sports Network aired IndyCar 36, a documentary series based on NBC's 36 format. Each 30-minute episode features a driver's race weekend. The drivers selected were:

No shows were produced at São Paulo, Detroit, Milwaukee or Edmonton, whereas frontrunners Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon were not featured.

Footnotes

  1. Not considered a series rookie. He was only considered an Indy rookie.
  2. Briscoe, the fastest qualifier from the Fast Six shootout, was assessed a 10-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Dario Franchitti, who qualified 4th, was the highest-placed driver not to have a penalty, and thus started the race from pole position. Briscoe earned the pole-winner's championship point.
  3. Hunter-Reay, the fastest qualifier from the Fast Six shootout, was assessed a 10-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Dario Franchitti, who qualified 2nd, started the race from pole position. Hunter-Reay earned the pole-winner's championship point.

References

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