ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—The Verizon IndyCar Series, America’s premier open-wheel racing series, opened its 2016 season with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Like last year, Penske Racing’s Will Power won the pole, his team mate Juan Montoya took the win, there were two Penske drivers on the podium, and the Chevrolet-powered cars proved to be quicker than Honda’s offerings.
Penske Racing has always done well on the streets of St. Pete: the team has won four of the last five races and eight of the twelve that have run here. This makes it difficult to tell if Chevrolet’s engine and aerokit is better than Honda’s (as was the case throughout last season) or if Penske is just better prepared for St. Pete than any other team.
Whatever the case, Penske and Chevrolet made strong statements at St. Pete, as did Juan Montoya. After returning to IndyCar in 2014 after 13 years in F1 and NASCAR, The 40-year-old Colombian driver proved that he still has the speed which earned him the championship in 1999, his rookie year, and a win in the Indy 500 in his first attempt in 2000.
Montoya won one race in 2014 and finished fourth in the points, while still learning the new car. He won two races in 2015—St. Pete, and his second Indy 500—and finished second in the points. His repeat at St. Pete proves he is ready to continue his quest for another IndyCar title.
