Penske driver Simon Pagenaud won the season-ending race at Sonoma Sunday, Sept. 18, sealing his first IndyCar championship, as team mate and rival Will Power saw his chance for a second title evaporate when his clutch controller failed halfway through the race.
Pagenaud came into the race with a 43-point lead; he was assured the title if he finished in the top five. The 32-year-old Frenchman was not satisfied with that, though. He qualified on the pole with a amazing lap, and led flag-to-flag in the race.
Despite the great probability of his winning, Pagenaud was unprepared to make a speech in Victory Lane.
“So much emotion right now ... it’s hard to find the words,” he told NBCSN. “My whole career has been about this, about today and getting to this level.
“Running up front like that when you need it ... for an athlete, when you can perform 100 percent under pressure like this is amazing, such a great feeling.
“Obviously it’s me winning but it’s the whole team, the #22 team and Team Penske, the 424 people working in the shop ... Thanks to them for doing such hard work so we could shine on the race track.
