The final laps of the California race became a fight for survival as drivers pulled out all the stops at Auto Club Speedway in an attempt to win the second 500-mile event of the season.
The three-lap drag race was set up after a crash that took out reigning series champion Will Power. IndyCar officials decided to halt the race, bringing all cars onto pit lane while they hurried to clean up the track. Moments later and with only five laps remaining, cars rolled back on the track and the race was on after two circuits of the two-mile Auto Club Speedway.
Rahal lead the field across the start/finish line as the green flag waved overhead with three laps to go. Drivers jockeyed for position, with Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti looking for the best way to get around the leader and the final miles counting down.
The MAVTV 500 was not destined to finish under green-flag conditions on this day. As Rahal pulled on to the front stretch and prepared to enter the final lap of the race, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Ryan Briscoe came together, setting off a wild crash that saw Briscoe’s car fly upside down before ending up in the infield after a couple of flips.
The race winner commented on the events unfolding behind him saying, “That was nuts, but it was fun.”
The MAVTV 500 ended up under caution, which was just fine for Rahal, who had been thirsty to taste victory again. His only other career win was in 2008.
“It’s been so long coming. It’s awesome,” Rahal said. “We’ve been so close and I feel like we deserved it before but hadn’t gotten it yet. So, to get this one feels unbelievable.”
Winning on a super speedway held extra meaning for Rahal. His first win had come on a street circuit and glory on oval tracks had eluded him.
“Our weakness has been these ovals,” said Rahal. “I told the guys this morning that the next three races will define our year.”
Kanaan finished second in the race, with Andretti taking third.
Few can dispute that the MAVTV 500 was exciting for the fans with a total of 80 lead changes disputed among 14 drivers. The competitors were not so enthused by the “pack racing” mentality. Critical of the events was current series leader Juan Pablo Montoya.
“This is full pack racing and sooner or later somebody is going to get hurt,” he said. “We shouldn’t be racing like this.”
Part of the problem is due to changes put in place by series’ officials who mandated extra downforce to keep cars from flipping over, as happened during practice prior to this year’s Indianapolis 500. Extra downforce means extra speed and extra grip and leads to cars going four and five wide on the track. While happy no one was hurt in the two late-race wrecks, Power was livid after the race.
“What are we doing? What ARE we doing? You went in and told them it would be pack racing and that was a Vegas situation right here,” he said, referring to the 2011 accident which killed driver Dan Wheldon. “Someone’s got to take responsibility for how this day panned out. As exciting as it is, it’s insane because you can’t get away.”
Race runnerup, Kanaan, echoed Power’s words.
“It was exciting for you guys, that’s for sure, but it was crazy for us,” he said, adding, “In the end, we all survived.”
Montoya finished fourth in the California race and widened the gap at the top of the Verizon IndyCar Series driver standings. Power, victim of a late-race crash, dropped 46 points behind the leader, while Scott Dixon now sits only three points further back in third.
The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to racing at the famed Milwaukee Mile on July 12, 2015, with the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250.
