Chevrolet congratulates Ryan Hunter-Reay on clinching the IZOD IndyCar^® Series Driver’s Championship this weekend at Fontana. Chevrolet drivers Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay entered the race at #1 and #2 in the rankings with just 17 points separating them.

In the end, 3 points decided the championship.

It had looked like an unfortunate conclusion to an impressive season for Ryan Hunter-Reay just two weeks ago at Sonoma. After spinning out with 10 laps to go and finishing 18th, the points lead between Power and Hunter-Reay seemed too large to overcome.

Hunter-Reay showed off his perseverance by winning at Baltimore the following week to give his team a shot at the title in the finale. After all that, Andretti Autosport and Hunter-Reay reached the ultimate IndyCar podium in unforgettable fashion at Auto Club Speedway.

The drama began during lap 55 when the #12 car driven by Power spun and made contact with the barrier. Power, who had entered the finale in the top points position for the last three years without securing the championship, was out of the race.

Hunter-Raey would only need to finish 6th to clinch.

But in true Team Penske fashion, Power and his crew refused to quit. The team quickly and expertly repaired the damaged chassis to allow Power to get back in the race and collect 11 laps to finish 24th, picking up valuable points.

Hunter-Raey would now need to finish 5th to clinch.

After a restart toward the end, Ryan battled through anticipation and finished in 4th position to win the title. Ed Carpenter, another Chevrolet driver, performed a last lap pass over Dario Franchitti and won the race, securing 11 out of 15 wins this season for Team Chevy.

Chevrolet congratulates Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power and all of our incredible drivers on a successful season.

Winning on the track comes down to perfecting technology that can be paired with world-class drivers. We race to win – but we also race to make better cars, trucks and crossovers. Chevy is proud to continue advanced powertrain development to supply the technology that Ryan Hunter-Reay needs to win and Chevrolet owners need to enjoy their ride everyday.

After earning the IZOD IndyCar® Series Manufacturer Championship in our first year back in IndyCar racing, we look forward to tirelessly working with our engineers, racing teams and drivers to constantly and consistently improve performance.

It truly is a team sport, and Chevy is proud to be a part of the team.

Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, concluded, “Everyone at Chevrolet is very proud of Ryan and his team for securing their first driver's crown with Chevrolet IndyCar V6 power. This championship caps off an exciting first year back in IndyCar competition for Chevrolet. We are looking forward to competing next season, and beyond."

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