IndyCar Power Rankings: Scott Dixon streaks to top spot

1. Scott Dixon (LW: 2)

Did you expect anyone else here? Scott Dixon just completed a clean sweep of the Honda Indy Toronto and has won three races consecutively to boost him to second in the championship and just 29 points behind leader Helio Castroneves.

Has anyone else noticed that Dixon has won his two championships in increments of five years? 2003, 2008...2013?

It appears that both history and momentum is on Dixon’s side.

2. Helio Castroneves (LW: 1)

Mr. Consistency has just one victory but has done everything else within his power to hold on to his championship lead. He withstood a five-race challenge from Ryan Hunter-Reay and will look to prove that he is every bit the match for Scott Dixon as well.

3. Marco Andretti (LW: 3)

With finishes of fourth and ninth over the weekend, Marco Andretti continues to show steady consistency on the road and street courses -- but it’s not enough to win a championship when he’s gone winless on ovals. But Andretti has established the foundation to chalenge for the championship in 2014. And at 26-years-old, Andretti is likely just now entering the prime of his career.

4. Dario Franchitti (LW: NR)

The four-time IndyCar champion again proved his mettle over the weekend, scoring a pair of top-five finishes, a pole in Race No. 1 time trials and a gritty performance in the second race that saw him battle back from a first lap crash to finish in P4 anyway. This season won’t amount to a fifth-championship but it is a remarkable turnaround given the way his 2013 campaign began.

5. Sebastien Bourdais (LW: NR)

The other four-time champion in the field had his best overall performance since joining the IZOD IndyCar Series, scoring a second and third during the doubleheader and reminded the paddock that Sebastien Bourdais could still be a force if given the right equipment. Toronto was a statement that Bourdais could be an elite free agent hire or is worth the investment for Dragon Racing backers.

6. Charlie Kimball (LW: NR)

Somewhat lost in the Target Chip Ganassi Racing renaissance is that their psuedo teammate, Charlie Kimball has increased his team’s performance as well, qualifying strong and scoring a sixth-place finish in the nightcap on Sunday.

7. Ryan Hunter-Reay (LW: 5)

The defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion contended for the podium on both Saturday and Sunday but was caught up in accidents that may have eliminated him from championship contention.

Huter-Reay’s season has gone in cycles. In the first four races, the defending champion had an average finish of 13.5. Over the next six races, he scored an average of 4.6. And over the last three, his average has anchored to a 19.1.

If Hunter-Reay is going to repeat as champion, he’s going to need to pull off a run of victories and clutch performances over the next six races, much like what he achieved in the closing stages of 2012.

8. Tony Kanaan (LW: 4)

The Indianapolis 500 champion led a resurgent KV Racing effort at Toronto, qualified well in both races and had set himself up for strong weekend if not for brushing the wall late on Saturday. The accident relegated him to a 24th place finish, a result he would make up for the next day when he finished in fifth.

9. Mike Conway (LW: NR)

The Dale Coyne street course ace qualified poorly at Toronto but battled back to scored a pair of top-10s on both Saturday and Sunday. Give Conway four tires and a complete race and he’ll make them stick.

10. Will Power (LW:7)

The three-time championship runner-up was in contention for the podium on both Saturday and Sunday before a pair of accidents with Dario Franchitti and Ryan Hunter-Reay respectively knocked him out of the running order.

Power isn’t qualifying on pole with the regularity of recent seasons and he just doesn’t seem to have the grace of running in a pack that he has in open air -- and his performance has suffered as a result.