The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series was the 20th season of the IndyCar Series and the 104th season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 99th Indianapolis 500, which was held on May 24. Will Power returned as the reigning champion, while Ryan Hunter-Reay was the defending Indy 500 champion. Chevrolet entered the season as the reigning Manufacturers' champion. Indianapolis 500 and the season finale counted for double points.
The season was overshadowed by the death of driver Justin Wilson at Pocono, after being struck on the head by debris from Sage Karam's car.
A week after Wilson's fatal accident, the finale was held at Sonoma Raceway, where Scott Dixon secured his fourth career title after a low-key season that saw him win on a tiebreak against Juan Pablo Montoya following his third win of the season after many consistent finishes leading up to the finale. Montoya won the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the season. It was a very competitive season with no standout performers and many different race winners and pacesetters. Except Dixon's three race wins, he finished on the podium only once, but due to their consistent finishing Dixon and Montoya had a significant margin to reigning champion Will Power in third.
Rules changes Aerokit modifications became specific to Honda and Chevy. Double points were awarded for the Indianapolis 500 race and for the season finale at Sonoma only. Previously double points were awarded at the three 500 mile oval events. Each team would continue to have two weeks of testing. Unlike past seasons, Promoter Days/Open Tests would count towards the testing allocation. The medical exemption was eliminated from pit selections. Pit selections are no longer based on drivers but teams' performance in the last race. This change eliminates a disadvantage by one IndyCar team that used a "two-platoon" system, with driver based on the circuit. Qualifying groups for qualifying at road/street course events was determined by the final practice session held before qualifying instead of by the first session of the weekend. Standing starts have been eliminated for 2015. The series says more development is needed before re-introducing them to the series, especially after numerous aborted standing starts and a crash at Houston during the 2013 season, and a start-line pile-up at the Indianapolis road course race in 2014. Each phase of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program saw see the speed requirements increased by 5 mph. Phase One consists of 10 laps at 205–210 mph, Phase Two of 15 laps at 210–215 mph and Phase Three of 15 laps at 215+ mph. The laps do not have to be consecutive. The phases and corresponding speeds may be adjusted based on track/weather conditions. The refresher program consisted of Phases Two and Three.
Confirmed entries
The following teams, entries, and drivers were announced to compete in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season. All teams used a spec Dallara DW12 chassis with manufacturer aero kits and Firestone tires.
Team Engine Driver(s) Round(s) A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 14 Takuma Sato All 41 Jack Hawksworth All 48 Alex Tagliani 6 Andretti Autosport Honda 25 Simona de Silvestro1–2 Justin Wilson5–6, 12–15 Oriol Servià 16 26 Carlos Muñoz All 27 Marco Andretti All 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay All 29 Simona de Silvestro 6 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 98 Gabby Chaves All CFH Racing Chevrolet 6 J. R. Hildebrand5–6 20 Luca Filippi 1–5, 7–8, 10, 14, 16 Ed Carpenter 6, 9, 11–13, 15 Josef Newgarden All Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 8 Sage Karam 1–2, 4, 6–9, 11–15 Sebastián Saavedra 3, 5, 10, 16 9 Scott Dixon All 10 Tony Kanaan All 17 Sebastián Saavedra 6 83 Charlie Kimball All Dale Coyne Racing Honda 18 Carlos Huertas1–2, 5–6 Rocky Moran Jr. 3 Conor Daly 3 Rodolfo González 4, 7–8, 10, 14, 16 Tristan Vautier6 Pippa Mann9, 11–13, 15 19 Francesco Dracone 1–5 James Davison 6 Tristan Vautier6–16 63 Pippa Mann 6 Dreyer & Reinbold - Kingdom Racing Chevrolet 24 Townsend Bell 6 KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 4 Stefano Coletti AllKVSH Racing 11 Sébastien Bourdais All KVSH Racing / Jonathan Byrd's Racing 88 Bryan Clauson 6 Lazier Partners Racing Chevrolet 91 Buddy Lazier 6 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 15 Graham Rahal All 32 Oriol Servià 6 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 5 James Hinchcliffe 1–6 Ryan Briscoe 6, 9, 11–16 Conor Daly 7–8, 10 7 James Jakes All 43 Conor Daly 6 77 Mikhail Aleshin 16 Team Penske Chevrolet 1 Will Power All 2 Juan Pablo MontoyaAll 3 Hélio CastronevesAll 22 Simon PagenaudAll
Notes Bryan Clauson drove an entry fielded by Jonathan Byrd's Racing at the Indy 500 in 2015 and 2016. KV Racing Technology was confirmed to support the entry. Ed Carpenter Racing and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing merged to form CFH Racing, and use Chevrolet engines and aerokits in 2015. Andretti Autosport re-signed Ryan Hunter-Reay and sponsor DHL to a multi-year contract. Josef Newgarden announced that he would drive the CFH Racing #67 entry full-time in 2015 with an option for an extension of the contract for a second year. Simon Pagenaud departed Schmidt Peterson Motorsports after three years and joined Team Penske in the No. 22 car. Team Penske president Tim Cindric confirmed on Twitter that defending series champion Will Power would be running the #1 car, as opposed to his usual #12. Ryan Briscoe did not return to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015, and actively pursued another ride. James Hinchcliffe announced that he left Andretti Autosport to replace Pagenaud in the #5 Schmidt Peterson Racing car. He was joined in the team by James Jakes – replacing Mikhail Aleshin – who returned to the series after missing the 2014 season. Jack Hawksworth was confirmed to drive the #41 A. J. Foyt Enterprises car full-time in 2015. Takuma Sato returned to the team's #14 car. Mikhail Aleshin returned to Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in a 3rd entry at Sonoma.
Schedule Icon Legend Oval/Speedway Road course Street circuitCCancelled race BOLD Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Triple Crown event.
Rd. Date Race name Track City C March 8 Itaipava Brasilia Indy 300 Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet Brasília, Brazil 1 March 29 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida 2 April 12 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana NOLA Motorsports Park Avondale, Louisiana 3 April 19 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, California 4 April 26 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama 5 May 9 Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway, Indiana 6 May 24 99th Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana 7 May 30 Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit Raceway at Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan 8 May 31 9 June 6 Firestone 600 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas 10 June 14 Honda Indy Toronto Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario 11 June 27 MAVTV 500 Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California 12 July 12 ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 The Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin 13 July 18 Iowa Corn 300 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa 14 August 2 Honda Indy 200 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio 15 August 23 ABC Supply 500 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania 16 August 30 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California
Schedule changes and notes The Itaipava Brasília Indy 300 was scheduled to be held on March 8 at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet in Brasília, Brazil. On January 29, the race was cancelled by the Federal District officials newly elected in the 2014 national elections, where the incumbent Governor from the Workers' Party had been defeated, and replaced by the candidate from the Brazilian Socialist Party. As tires and fuel had already been shipped for the race, the series sent representatives to the Autódromo de Goiânia to check the viability of the venue to host the race. NOLA Motorsports Park was announced to have a race over the weekend of April 10–12, 2015. Texas Motor Speedway was confirmed to return to the June 4–6 weekend and that the race would be on NBCSN. Auto Club Speedway was confirmed to be scheduled for June 27, moved from their usual date at the end of the season. IndyCar & Mi-Jack Promotions announced on August 29, 2014, that the Houston doubleheader at NRG Park has been canceled for 2015 due to scheduling issues. The races at Barber Motorsports Park (April 26), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (August 2) and Sonoma Raceway (August 30) were confirmed by the release of the Pirelli World Challenge schedule; PWC supports those events on the IndyCar calendar as well as St. Petersburg, Long Beach & Detroit. The Toronto Sun reported that the Honda Indy Toronto would stay at Exhibition Place and would be run on the weekend of June 12–14, 2015, to avoid a clash with the 2015 Pan American Games, due to be held the following month in the city. Unlike the last two seasons, the race weekend only featured one race instead of two, making Detroit the only double-header weekend of the season. The ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at the Milwaukee Mile was confirmed to be held on July 12, 2015, by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway was moved from the July 4 weekend date the track had in 2013 and 2014 to the weekend of August 23 for the 2015 season.
Results Rd.RacePole positionFastest lapMost laps ledRace WinnerReportDriverTeamManufacturer 1 St. Petersburg Will Power Hélio Castroneves Will Power Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet Report 2 New Orleans Juan Pablo Montoya Scott Dixon Juan Pablo Montoya James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda Report 3 Long Beach Hélio Castroneves Stefano Coletti Scott Dixon Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet Report 4 Birmingham Hélio Castroneves Ryan Hunter-Reay Josef Newgarden Josef Newgarden CFH Racing Chevrolet Report 5 Indianapolis GP Will Power James Hinchcliffe Will Power Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet Report 6 Indianapolis 500 Scott Dixon Charlie Kimball Scott Dixon Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet Report 7 Detroit 1 Will Power Jack Hawksworth Marco Andretti Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport HondaReport 8 Detroit 2 Juan Pablo Montoya Sébastien Bourdais Juan Pablo Montoya Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 9 Texas Will Power Will Power Scott Dixon Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Report 10 Toronto Will Power Hélio Castroneves Will Power Josef Newgarden Josef Newgarden CFH Racing Chevrolet Report 11 Fontana Simon Pagenaud Takuma Sato Will Power Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda Report 12 Milwaukee Josef Newgarden Hélio Castroneves Sébastien Bourdais Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet Report 13 Iowa Hélio Castroneves Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda Report 14 Mid-Ohio Scott Dixon Will Power Graham Rahal Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda Report 15 Pocono Hélio Castroneves Juan Pablo Montoya Josef Newgarden Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda Report 16 Sonoma Will Power Hélio Castroneves Scott Dixon Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Report
Race summaries
Round 1: St. Petersburg The season opener at St. Petersburg was also the debut of unique aero kits for Honda and Chevrolet. Apprehension amongst the teams going into the race revolved around the complex, elaborate, and seemingly fragile front wings, and the lack of adequate replacement parts. The concerns were not unfounded, as dozens of on-track contacts throughout the field damaged countless wing components.