Did You Know? 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Championship
Though the Team Penske driver placed last in the 24-car field because of a Lap 10 single-car crash in Turn 2, in which he sustained a bruised wrist, Montoya's championship points lead didn't incur much of a dent as a few challengers incurred mechanical issues.
With three races remaining, Montoya's margin is 42 points over the surging Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Three-time series champion Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing is 48 points in arrears and Helio Castroneves of Team Penske is 54 points out of first.
Thirteen drivers remain eligible for the title entering the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 2. The top seven, which also includes reigning series champion Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais of KVSH Racing and Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti, cannot be eliminated from championship eligibility this weekend, no matter how they fare.
The 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been the most beneficial to Dixon's title charges in recent years, with five victories among his seven podium finishes in the past eight years. In three races at Mid-Ohio, Montoya won in his 1999 championship season.
The ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, which Montoya won last year, is Aug. 23 and the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma is Aug. 30 at Sonoma Raceway. The finale carries double points (100 to the winner, 80 for second, 70 for third, etc.).
Championship facts:
• Montoya leads the Indy car championship with three races to go for the second time in his career. He also led the CART point standings with three to go when he won the 1999 championship.
• Montoya leads Rahal by 42 points. Montoya has led the championship since winning the opening race of the season at St. Petersburg.
• With 54 maximum points available at Mid-Ohio, the points lead could change for the first time in 2015.
• There are 13 drivers mathematically eligible for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship: Montoya, Rahal, Dixon, Castroneves, Power, Bourdais, Andretti, Josef Newgarden, Tony Kanaan, Simon Pagenaud, Carlos Munoz, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Charlie Kimball.
• One driver was eliminated from championship contention at Iowa – Takuma Sato.
• Since the first Indy car race at Mid-Ohio in 1980, nine drivers have won on the road course in their Indy car championship-winning seasons: Johnny Rutherford (1980), Mario Andretti (1984), Bobby Rahal (1986), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1997), Montoya (1999), Paul Tracy (2003) and Dario Franchitti (2010).
Drivers still eligible for championship: 13
Key championship points statistic: The driver who has led the championship with three races to go has failed to win the championship in four of the last six seasons. Only Franchitti in 2011 and Power in 2014 have won the title when leading with three to go.
Largest 1-2 points differential since – 2013: With three races to go, this year's points margin (42 points separate first and second) is the largest since the 2013 season when Castroneves and Dixon were 49 points apart. The average deficit with three to go since 2008 is 27.0 points.
Championship-eligible drivers with strong results at Mid-Ohio: Dixon is a five-time Mid-Ohio winner and has won three of the last four races at the track … Castroneves won the CART races at the track in 2000-01 … Montoya won the CART race in 1999 … Power has five top-10 finishes in six starts at Mid-Ohio … Bourdais has three top-five finishes in five starts … Pagenaud has two podium finishes in four starts at Mid-Ohio.
Recent championship chases with three races left:
2014
Leader: Will Power (548). Second: Helio Castroneves (-4). Third: Ryan Hunter-Reay (-63).
Final Margin and Champion: 62 points, Will Power.
2013
Leader: Helio Castroneves (501). Second: Scott Dixon (-49). Third: Simon Pagenaud (-70).
Final Margin and Champion: 27 points, Scott Dixon.
2012
Leader: Will Power (379). Second: Ryan Hunter-Reay (-5). Third: Helio Castroneves (-26).
Final Margin and Champion: 3 points, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
2011
Leader: Dario Franchitti (475). Second: Will Power (-26). Third: Scott Dixon (-75).
Final Margin and Champion: 18 points, Dario Franchitti.
2010
Leader: Will Power (528). Second: Dario Franchitti (-23). Third: Scott Dixon (-85).
Final Margin and Champion: 5 points, Dario Franchitti.
2009
Leader: Ryan Briscoe (497). Second: Dario Franchitti (-4). Third: Scott Dixon (-20).
Final margin and champion: 11 points, Dario Franchitti.
2008
Leader: Scott Dixon (558). Second: Helio Castroneves (-78). Third: Dan Wheldon (-138).
Final margin and champion: 17 points, Scott Dixon.
2007 (IRL)
Leader: Dario Franchitti (518). Second: Scott Dixon (-8). Third: Tony Kanaan (-52).
Final margin and champion: 13 points, Dario Franchitti.
2007 (CCWS)
Leader: Sebastien Bourdais (283). Second: Robert Doornbos (-53). Third: Will Power (-62).
Final margin and champion: 63 points, Sebastien Bourdais.
2006 (IRL)
Leader: Helio Castroneves (376). Second: Sam Hornish Jr. (-8). Third: Dan Wheldon (-17).
Final margin and champion: Tie between Hornish and Wheldon. Hornish won by virtue of most victories.
2006 (CCWS)
Leader: Sebastien Bourdais (310). Second: AJ Allmendinger (-62). Third: Justin Wilson (-62).
Final margin and champion: 89 points, Sebastien Bourdais.
2005 (IRL)
Leader: Dan Wheldon (517). Second: Tony Kanaan (-79). Third: Sam Hornish Jr. (-96).
Final margin and champion: 80 points, Dan Wheldon.
2005 (CCWS)
Leader: Sebastien Bourdais (276). Second: Oriol Servia (-61). Third: Paul Tracy (-65).
Final margin and champion: 60 points, Sebastien Bourdais.