SONOMA, CALIF.- 2.385 miles of racetrack, a continuous black ribbon of asphalt with elevations and dips, with blind curves and a hairpin, tucked in amongst the gentle rolling hills of the Sonoma Valley. It's a picturesque setting enjoyed by most who challenge it but something was missing for the INDY guys and gals who weren't sitting in the pole position at the start of the race for the past seven years…a place to pass. It wasn't a matter of aerodynamics or tires or talent or power or in most cases luck. Wire-to-wire wins became commonplace, too commonplace. When the race began, you took your place in the queue and barring some mechanical failure, accident or pit stop error by one of the lead cars, there was little opportunity to advance your position. It was 75 laps of hanging on to the rear of the car in front of you. The racers weren't enthused about it and the people who filled the stands had to find other ways of occupying themselves until the checkered flag signaled the conclusion of the race. It wasn't a win/win situation for anyone and 2012 needed to be different.

It became clear with the advent of more power this year, improvements to the body of the cars themselves that added a side pod and rear bumper, which made side-by-side racing safer and more realistic, track accommodations were in order. The course changes (less than 8% of the total track configuration) included the lengthening of Turn 7, turning it into a full hairpin and the extension of the exit at Turn 9, providing an area for the drivers to set up a pass on Turn 11, which was lengthened 200 feet. Turns 1-6 remained the same. Positive input received from the drivers that tested at Sonoma prior to the race, indicated that closer and more exciting racing was at hand, ultimately benefitting the fans as well as the competitors without altering the uniqueness that is Sonoma.

Prior to Saturday's qualification session, 15 drivers were still in contention for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship with as little as 28 points separating the top four. By clinching his third straight pole for Sunday's race, Will Power moved ahead of the pack significantly while positioning himself for a possible third straight win in as many years. It would remain to be seen if winning the pole would bring about the same results for yet another year. Each driver still statistically in contention knew that maintaining within a minimum of 107 points of the lead for this race would enable them to hold their position in the chase at least until they set foot on the track at Baltimore, the next to the last race, with the final stop on the tour scheduled to take place in the middle of September at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. For the seventh straight year, it appears that the 2012 Series Championship will be headed down to the wire for a photo finish.

On Sunday afternoon, even with the track changes previously noted, it looked like the 2012 GoPro INDY Grand Prix was going to be a repeat of 2010 and 2011. Will Power's mastery over Sonoma was still intact and for virtually the first 66+ laps of the 85 lap contest. The Australian's Verizon Penske Chevrolet seemed unstoppable with a jaw dropping 8 second lead over Briscoe at one point. The remaining cars would occasionally trade positions but the lead Power and Briscoe had established put them squarely in the spotlight and for the most part, it seemed like a two-man race. That was until Power and Briscoe came in for their second regularly scheduled pit stops. As both were receiving tires and fuel, Sebastien Bourdais attempted a pass on rookie Joseph Newgarden at Turn 7 and wound up in the dirt unscathed. He then overcorrected and was hit from behind by Newgarden who slammed him into the rubber tire barricade and the k-wall bringing out the yellow flag. As he was about to exit his pit, it was discovered that Power's rear tire wasn't secure. He lost four seconds getting it tightened and Briscoe squirted by putting a number of lapped cars between them before Power could exit safely, giving the driver of the #2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet the lead.

Power did move up through the field in the few laps that remained but he never could muster enough to catch and pass Briscoe even though they were only separated by 0.440 seconds at the checkered flag. Power's lead in the INDY championship points race was increased, in large part, due to the misfortune of others. Contact between Dixon and Castroneves early in the race put them both at the rear of the pack (finishing 13th and 6th respectively) and Hunter-Reay who was racing well at the time was bumped from the rear, causing his engine to stall. He recovered but finished a dismal 18th.

There was, after all, a lead change not at the track reconfiguration sights but on pit row. It took only four seconds to erase the wire-to-wire sure thing wins of the past. It's the dawn of a new era…

RACE RESULTS

Time of Race: 02:07:02

Average Speed: 95.74

Margin of Victory: 0.440

Lead Changes: 6 among 3 drivers

Caution Laps: 2 for 11 laps

Fastest Lap: 108.43 mph (Hunter-Reay)

Fastest Leader Lap: 108.18 mph (Power)
IZOD IndyCar Series Pole Award (Power) 111.116 mph

QUALIFYING RESULTS (August 25, 2012)

COMBINED PRACTICE RESULTS (8-26-12)