| 2016 IndyCar Series
|
|
|
| Verizon IndyCar Series
|
| Season
|
| Races
|
16
|
| Start date
|
March 13
|
| End date
|
September 18
|
| Awards
|
| Drivers' champion
|
Template:FRA Simon Pagenaud
|
| Manufacturers' Cup
|
Template:USA Chevrolet
|
| Rookie of the Year
|
Template:USA Alexander Rossi
|
| Indianapolis 500 winner
|
Template:USA Alexander Rossi
|
| Seasons
|
| Previous season
|
Next season
|
| 2015
|
2019
|
The 2016 IndyCar Series season was the 21st season of the IndyCar Series, and the 105th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing.
F1RICS rivalry and cancellation
Enduring another year as rivals to the new F1RICS category, IndyCar suffered record losses as attendances were down significantly at the series' events, losing a large portion of its fanbase to F1RICS. Whilst the championship was able to continue to the end of 2016, the pull-out of investors during the formation of its rival series had hindered IndyCar financially.
A new investment firm, the Velocity Group, announced its plans to purchase the IndyCar franchise and to rename it "Velocity Elite" for 2017, but their plans to rebrand the series and introduce a highly-experimental closed-cockpit prototype were incredibly unpopular with teams and series partners. Withdrawing their bid for the series, the IndyCar board elected to put the series on a hiatus until the correct investment was found.
At around the same time that IndyCar decided to close its doors temporarily, F1RICS was dissolved as the series proved to be incredibly expensive for both teams and investors; allowing multiple chassis suppliers and engines the freedom to command high fees, teams were charged increasingly extortionate amounts, and coupled with low returns from ticket and sponsor revenue meant that the series was completely unsustainable. F1RICS closed its doors at the end of 2016, leaving America without a top-level open-wheel series until 2019.
Final Driver Standings
| Pos
|
Driver
|
STP
|
PHX
|
LBH
|
ALA
|
IGP
|
INDY
|
DET
|
ROA
|
IOW
|
TOR
|
MDO
|
POC
|
TEX
|
WGL
|
SNM
|
Pts
|
| QL
|
500
|
| 1
|
Template:FRA Simon Pagenaud
|
2*
|
2
|
1
|
1*
|
1*
|
8
|
19
|
13*
|
2*
|
13
|
4
|
9
|
1
|
18
|
4
|
7
|
1*
|
659
|
| 2
|
Template:AUS Will Power
|
DNS
|
3
|
7
|
4
|
19
|
6
|
10
|
20
|
1
|
1*
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
8
|
20
|
20
|
532
|
| 3
|
 Hélio Castroneves
|
4
|
11
|
3*
|
7
|
2
|
9
|
11
|
5
|
14
|
5
|
13
|
2
|
15
|
19
|
5
|
3
|
7
|
504
|
| 4
|
Template:USA Josef Newgarden
|
22
|
6
|
10
|
3
|
21
|
2
|
3
|
14
|
4
|
8
|
1*
|
22
|
10
|
4
|
22
|
2
|
6
|
502
|
| 5
|
Template:USA Graham Rahal
|
16
|
5
|
15
|
2
|
4
|
26
|
14
|
4
|
11
|
3
|
16
|
13
|
4
|
11
|
1
|
21
|
2
|
484
|
| 6
|
 Scott Dixon
|
7
|
1*
|
2
|
10
|
7
|
13
|
8
|
19
|
5
|
22
|
3
|
8*
|
22
|
6
|
19
|
1*
|
17
|
477
|
| 7
|
Tony Kanaan
|
9
|
4
|
6
|
8
|
25
|
18
|
4
|
9
|
7
|
2
|
7
|
4
|
12
|
9
|
3
|
19
|
13
|
461
|
| 8
|
 Juan Pablo Montoya
|
1
|
9
|
4
|
5
|
8
|
17
|
33
|
3
|
20
|
7
|
20
|
20
|
11
|
8
|
9
|
13
|
3
|
433
|
| 9
|
Template:USA Charlie Kimball
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
9
|
5
|
16
|
5
|
8
|
16
|
6
|
10
|
11
|
8
|
15
|
6
|
6
|
9
|
433
|
| 10
|
Carlos Muñoz
|
8
|
22
|
12
|
14
|
12
|
5
|
2
|
6
|
15
|
10
|
12
|
17
|
3
|
7
|
7
|
11
|
15
|
432
|
| 11
|
Template:USA Alexander Rossi RY
|
12
|
14
|
20
|
15
|
10
|
11
|
1
|
10
|
12
|
15
|
6
|
16
|
14
|
20
|
11
|
8
|
5
|
430
|
| 12
|
Template:USA Ryan Hunter-Reay
|
3
|
10
|
18
|
11
|
9
|
3
|
24*
|
7
|
3
|
4
|
22
|
12
|
18
|
3
|
13
|
14
|
4
|
428
|
| 13
|
 James Hinchcliffe
|
19
|
18
|
8
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
18
|
21
|
14
|
9
|
3
|
5
|
10
|
2*
|
18
|
12
|
416
|
| 14
|
 Timo Glock
|
21
|
8
|
9
|
16
|
24
|
19
|
9
|
1
|
8
|
18
|
8
|
7
|
20
|
5
|
10
|
5
|
10
|
404
|
| 15
|
 Mikhail Aleshin
|
5
|
17
|
16
|
17
|
13
|
7
|
27
|
15
|
17
|
16
|
5
|
6
|
17*
|
2*
|
16
|
22
|
11
|
347
|
| 16
|
Template:USA Marco Andretti
|
15
|
13
|
19
|
12
|
15
|
14
|
13
|
16
|
9
|
12
|
14
|
10
|
13
|
12
|
12
|
12
|
8
|
339
|
| 17
|
 Takuma Sato
|
6
|
15
|
5
|
13
|
18
|
12
|
26
|
11
|
10
|
17
|
11
|
5
|
9
|
22
|
20
|
17
|
14
|
320
|
| 18
|
Template:USA Conor Daly R
|
13
|
16
|
13
|
20
|
6
|
24
|
29
|
2
|
6
|
21
|
21
|
15
|
6
|
16
|
21
|
4
|
21
|
313
|
| 19
|
Template:GBR Max Chilton R
|
17
|
7
|
14
|
21
|
14
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
22
|
20
|
19
|
18
|
16
|
13
|
15
|
10
|
16
|
267
|
| 20
|
Template:GBR Jack Hawksworth
|
11
|
19
|
21
|
19
|
20
|
31
|
16
|
22
|
19
|
11
|
15
|
21
|
21
|
14
|
17
|
16
|
18
|
229
|
| 21
|
Template:USA Spencer Pigot R
|
14
|
|
|
|
11
|
29
|
25
|
17
|
18
|
9
|
|
19
|
7
|
|
|
15
|
22
|
165
|
| 22
|
Gabby Chaves
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
21
|
20
|
12
|
13
|
19
|
17
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
121
|
| 23
|
Template:USA J. R. Hildebrand
|
|
|
|
|
22
|
15
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
84
|
| 24
|
 Oriol Servià
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
72
|
| 25
|
Template:USA Ed Carpenter
|
|
21
|
|
|
|
20
|
31
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
|
21
|
18
|
|
|
67
|
| 26
|
Roberto Merhi
|
20
|
20
|
17
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
61
|
| 27
|
Template:USA Townsend Bell
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
| 28
|
Template:USA RC Enerson R
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
|
|
9
|
19
|
55
|
| 29
|
Template:GBR Pippa Mann
|
|
|
|
|
|
25
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
46
|
| 30
|
Template:AUS Matthew Brabham R
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
26
|
22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37
|
| 31
|
Alex Tagliani
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
33
|
17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35
|
| 32
|
Template:USA Sage Karam
|
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
32
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22
|
| 33
|
Template:USA Bryan Clauson
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
| 34
|
Template:GBR Stefan Wilson
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
28
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
| 35
|
Template:USA Buddy Lazier
|
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|
32
|
30
|
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12
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