Hunter-Reay leads the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings by 34 points with five races remaining. He has swept into the lead on the strength of three consecutive victories. Hunter-Reay is the second Andretti Autosport driver to win three straight, matching the feat of the late Dan Wheldon, who scored a triple on his way the the 2005 IndyCar championship. Hunter-Reay is attempting to become the first American-born IndyCar champ since Sam Hornish in 2006.
“Now that it’s been a few days for it to sink in, it’s really starting to hit me what an accomplishment this is for the team. It seems surreal to say we’ve won three in a row, yet, at the same time, it’s not something that seems unrealistic. I’ve always thought this was possible with the right team chemistry. I can’t say enough about the guys on the No. 28 team. It’s all about the Andretti Autosport organization as a whole for sure, but I’m really close to the guys on the DHL/Sun Drop team. They’ve been the key to winning these races, in the preparation of the car and working together during the race with the right strategy, making the right set-up changes, and executing flawless pit stops.
“It’s been the best run of my career, but it’s not something that’s happened by accident. I’m just like a lot of people who reach their own American dream through hard work. It took a lot of persistence and perseverance to get to this point. Credit has to go to Michael Andretti, who hired me three years ago and told me he was going to bring this team back to its championship form. Having been here at Andretti Autosport since 2010, it really feels like a family. We all know each other and get along really well. It’s the kind of thing that can only happen over time, and I’m feeling that kind of connection for the first time in my career. The lows that I’ve been through in my career, like being relegated to driving a show car in 2005 and then not being able to find a ride at all for the 2006 season, make the highs that much better. Those disappointments have only made me stronger and hungrier now that I’ve found a home.”
Did You Know: What’s next? Hunter-Reay can match Sebastien Bourdais, who is the most recent winner of four straight Indy car races. Bourdais opened the 2006 Champ Car season with a quartet of wins.
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