2006 IRL Top 10 Driver Rankings

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Updated driver rankings following Kansas(top-10).......

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr.....................................74 pts(nc)
t-2nd}[2]Helio Castroneves..........................62 pts(nc)
t-2nd}[3]Dan Wheldon.................................62 pts(nc)
4th}Scott Dixon...........................................57 pts(nc)
5th}Tony Kanaan.........................................45 pts(nc)
6th}Vitor Meira............................................41 pts(nc)
7th}Dario Franchitti......................................32 pts(nc)
8th}Bryan Herta...........................................26 pts(nc)
9th}Scott Sharp............................................25 pts(nc)
10th}Kosuke Matsurra...................................23 pts(nc)

In: n/a
Out: n/a

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Updated driver rankings following Nashville.....................

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr.........................................74 pts(nc)
2nd}Dan Wheldon............................................71 pts(+1)
3rd}Helio Castroneves.....................................68 pts(-1)
4th}Scott Dixon...............................................67 pts(nc)
5th}Vitor Meira................................................49 pts(+1)
6th}Tony Kanaan.............................................45 pts(-1)
7th}Dario Franchitti..........................................37 pts(nc)
8th}Bryan Herta...............................................26 pts(nc)
9th}Scott Sharp...............................................25 pts(nc)
t-10th}[10]Kosuke Matsurra..............................23 pts(nc)
t-10th}[11]Danica Patrick.................................23 pts(nr)

In: Patrick
Out: n/a

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Updated driver standings following Milwaukee..............

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr................................83 pts(nc)
2nd}Dan Wheldon...................................74 pts(nc)
t-3rd}[3]Helio Castroneves......................68 pts(nc)
t-3rd}[4]Scott Dixon...............................68 pts(nc)
5th}Tony Kanaan....................................55 pts(+1)
6th}Vitor Meira........................................49 pts(-1)
7th}Dario Franchitti..................................42 pts(nc)
t-8th}[8]Bryan Herta................................30 pts(nc)
t-8th}[9]Danica Patrick.............................30 pts(+2)
10th}Marco Andretti..................................28 pts(nr)

In: Andretti
Out: Sharp, Matsurra

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Updated driver rankings(top-10+) following Michigan...............

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr......................................83 pts(nc)
2nd}Dan Wheldon.........................................82 pts(nc)
3rd}Helio Castroneves...................................78 pts(nc)
4th}Scott Dixon............................................68 pts(nc)
5th}Tony Kanaan..........................................62 pts(nc)
6th}Vitor Meira.............................................58 pts(nc)
7th}Dario Franchitti.......................................42 pts(nc)
8th}Marco Andretti........................................31 pts(+2)
t-9th}[9]Bryan Herta.....................................30 pts(-1)
t-9th}[10]Danica Patrick................................30 pts(-1)
t-9th}[11]Scott Sharp....................................30 pts(nr)
t-9th}[12]Kosuke Matsurra.............................30 pts(nr)

In: Sharp, Matsurra
Out: n/a

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Updated driver rankings following Kentucky......................

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr..........................................93 pts(nc)
2nd}Dan Wheldon.............................................89 pts(nc)
3rd}Helio Castroneves.......................................86 pts(nc)
4th}Scott Dixon.................................................77 pts(nc)
5th}Tony Kanaan...............................................68 pts(nc)
6th}Vitor Meira..................................................63 pts(nc)
7th}Dario Franchitti............................................44 pts(nc)
8th}Tomas Scheckter.........................................34 pts(+4)
9th}Danica Patrick.............................................33 pts(+1)
t-10th}[10]Marco Andretti...................................31 pts(-2)
t-10th}[11]Bryan Herta.......................................31 pts(-2)

In: n/a
Out: Sharp

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Updated driver rankings following Infineon(top-10)...................

1st}Sam Hornish, Jr......................................95 pts(nc)
2nd}Dan Wheldon.........................................94 pts(nc)
3rd}Helio Castroneves..................................92 pts(nc)
4th}Scott Dixon............................................84 pts(nc)
5th}Vitor Meira.............................................71 pts(+1)
6th}Tony Kanaan..........................................68 pts(-1)
7th}Dario Franchitti.......................................53 pts(nc)
8th}Marco Andretti........................................41 pts(+2)
9th}Danica Patrick........................................36 pts(nc)
10th}Tomas Scheckter..................................34 pts(-2)

In: n/a
Out: Herta

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Updated driver rankings following Chicagoland(top-10)......

1st}Dan Wheldon................................104 pts(+1)
2nd}Sam Hornish, Jr...........................103 pts(-1)
3rd}Helio Castroneves..........................99 pts(nc)
4th}Scott Dixon....................................93 pts(nc)
5th}Vitor Meira.....................................76 pts(nc)
6th}Tony Kanaan..................................73 pts(nc)
7th}Dario Franchitti...............................53 pts(nc)
8th}Marco Andretti................................41 pts(nc)
9th}Danica Patrick................................36 pts(nc)
10th}Tomas Scheckter..........................35 pts(nc)

In: n/a
Out: n/a

Final driver rankings and moderator's comments on the year that was to come later this month.........

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Well, after tons of research, guesses, shots at the dartboard(and at the idiots' bar!), this graduate of that august institution of higher learning, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte(class of 1997), here are the final driver rankings, with comments as necessary.....

note.....teams next to drivers' name refers to team he or she drove for in 2006

Sam Hornish, Jr., Marlboro-Team Penske(117 pts). In the modern era of NA motorsports(1978-present) only three drivers(and probably soon, a fourth) have ever won three open-wheel titles, Rick Mears, Boby Rahal and Sam Hornish, Jr. I'm almost certain, though, that Messrs. Mears and Rahal didn't have to fight and scratch their ways to that third title the way "Silent Sam" did. With four wins, four poles and 655 laps led in competition, it was a hard-fought battle, but in the end, Hornish finally gave the Captain, Roger Penske, his much-desired first IndyCar Series title to go along with the other dozen or so the Captain has.

Dan Wheldon, Target/Ganassi Racing(116 pts). When Wheldon made the switch from Andretti-Green Racing over to TGR, he wanted to prove that he could win a second championship even being with another team, and the Brit came awful close. Barring a couple of botched pitstops and one case of brain fade at St. Pete, the title very well could've been his. He led the most laps(761 laps in 11 races), completed almost 150 more laps than Hornish, and had one more top-10 finish than Hornish; that's how tight the points battle was.

Helio Castroneves, Marlboro-Team Penske(108 pts). Spiderman did everything one could to fight for a series title; he won four races, qual. on the pole more than anyone else(5 poles) and had the same number of top-5 finishes as both Wheldon and Hornish(9 top-5 finishes). He just came up a little short, unfortunately.

4th} Scott Dixon, Target-Ganassi Racing(102 pts). In 2004 and 2005, the Kiwi felt as though he was nothing more than a field-filler, and the team's results reflected that. It was a completely different story in 2006; the addition of a new teammate(Wheldon) and a new engine(Honda) gave new breaths of air to the Chipster's team and the results showed, especially for Dixon. Although he played the no. 2 driver role opposite Wheldon for the year, he was competitive all year, completing the most laps(2504 laps out of a possible 2510 laps, a pct. of 99.76%.... ) of anyone in the year, and he was the only driver on the grid who was running at the finish of every race this year(14 out of 14).

5th} Vitor Meira, Panther Racing(82 pts). Prior to 2006, he and Panther Racing were basically in the same position; he was out of a ride, having been kicked to the curb by Rahal-Letterman Racing, while Panther Racing seemed to be headed for fire sale country. This year, they became the little team that could, nearly defying the odds and challenging for wins at most venues this year.

6th} Tony Kanaan, Andretti-Green Racing(79 pts). Of the fourteen races this year, 12 were won by either Penske or Ganassi drivers; the remaining two were won by AGR. Kanaan's win at Milwaukee broke the Penske/Ganassi streak up to that point, due in large part to all the testing AGR's drivers in the IndyCar and Indy Pro Series' did at the Mile. While it may have seemed strange for the 2004 series champion to have to chase the lead cars all year long, if there was an award for the "best of the rest" in 2006, either he, Marco or Meira would've won.

7th} Dario Franchitti, Andretti-Green Racing(53 pts). If there was a third-tier driver award, the Scotsman would get it; it wasn't the best of seasons for him. No wins, only 40 laps led all year and knocked himself out of the season finale in an accident during the Goodwood Revival races.

8th} Marco Andretti, Andretti-Green Racing(45 pts). When father Michael signed Marco to drive for AGR in 2006, most(including myself) were a tad bit skeptical as to whether "the kid" could handle a 650-hp IndyCar. By season's end, though, he had thoroughly proven that he could race, with the first win by a rookie since Tomas Scheckter won at Michigan in 2002. With the addition of at least one new teammate(Patrick) in 2007 to push him along further, expect Marco to do better next year.

9th} Danica Patrick, Rahal-Letterman Racing(43 pts). On the face of it, 2006 wasn't that awful a season for the Roscoe, Ill. native. She had 2 top-5's(Nashville, Milwaukee) and 8 top-10 finishes and the best differential btwn. avg. starts and finishes(+2.9). On the other hand, she still struggled on the more difficult ovals(Texas and Richmond for instance). But this season was a season of contradictions, though. Case in point, laps completed(used as a sign of consistancy). Patrick completed 2299 out of 2510 laps; 5th most. However, having not competed at Homestead, it should be 2299 out of 2310. Take 200 laps away from the first four drivers on the list and instead of being 5th, only Dixon would've been in front of her(2304 to 2299).......in addition, she completed more laps than the series champion did(2299 to 2297) and at least two of her new teammates. Given the move to AGR, who, in the words of motorsports journalist Ed Hinton, "will put a rocketship under her", expect her in victory lane next year as well.

10th} Tomas Scheckter, Vision Racing(35 pts). For a team that still needs some work to move into the top-tiers of the sport, the South African didn't do so bad. Then again......it seemed to be one those "two steps forward, one 1/2 steps back" years. Although he gave Tony George's team(yes, the series' founder is a co-owner of the team.....) its' first-ever podium(a third at Milwaukee), the team struggled at times, and his performances showed it(9 top-10 finishes, 2 top-5's and only 4 laps led). If we're to see Scheckter at the proverbial tip of the spear, this team's gotta' improve in the off-season.

Best of the rest..........
What best of the rest; as at the beginning of the season, once you pass the top-end of the talent pool, it's a sharp, precipitous drop to the rest of the grid. This year's no exception.