Qualifying has always been a crucial part of motorsport, with every driver aiming for pole position. In the IndyCar Series, it's no different, though races often feature plenty of overtaking, and strategy can play a decisive role. We analyzed the importance of pole position by examining all 283 championship races since the 2008 reunification. In the final part of this study, we look at the average winning starting positions per track.

Average Winning Starting Position Per track

Since the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series "reunified" in 2008, the IndyCar Series has raced on 37 track—or track configurations (such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and road course). Of these tracks, NOLA Motorsports Park holds the highest average winning start position: 16.00. However, this figure is based on a single race, when James Hinchcliffe won in 2015 from 16th on the grid.

Among tracks regularly visited, Iowa Speedway has the highest average winning start position at 8.05. This trend continued this year, with Will Power winning from 23rd on the grid. Another notable track is Detroit's Belle Isle street course, replaced two years ago by a race in the city center. Across 19 races at Belle Isle, the eventual winners started, on average, from 7.89th position!

Although pole position at the Indy 500 carries significant prestige, it doesn't always guarantee success. The average winning starting position for this race is relatively high at 7.5!

Interestingly, none of the six tracks with the lowest average winning start positions are currently on the calendar! Among the tracks still raced on, pole position holds the most value at Laguna Seca, where winners started on average from 2.6th position.

Average Winning Starting Positions Per Track:
Chicagoland Speedway - 10.33 (3 races)
Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) - 9 (4 races)
Houston - 8.5 (4 races)
Iowa Speedway - 8.05 (20 races)
Nashville Superspeedway - 8 (2 races)
Detroit (Belle Isle) - 7.89 (19 races)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 7.53 (17 races)
Phoenix Raceway - 6 (3 races)
Texas Motor Speedway - 5.78 (18 races)
Baltimore - 5.67 (3 races)
St. Petersburg - 5.35 (17 races)
Pocono Raceway - 5.29 (7 races)
Portland - 5.17 (6 races)
Long Beach - 5.13 (15 races)
Milwaukee Mile - 5 (9 races)
New Hampshire Motor Speedway - 5 (1 race)
Indianapolis (Road Course) - 4.44 (16 races)
Mid-Ohio - 4.22 (18 races)
Road America - 4.1 (10 races)
Circuit of The Americas - 4 (1 race)
Kentucky Speedway - 4 (4 races)
Toronto - 3.69 (16 races)
World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) - 3.66 (9 races)
São Paulo - 3 (4 races)
Detroit (Downtown) - 3 (2 races)
Edmonton - 3 (5 races)
Barber Motorsports Park - 3 (14 races)
Kansas Speedway - 2.67 (3 races)
Laguna Seca - 2.6 (5 races)
Sonoma Raceway - 2.36 (11 races)
Watkins Glen - 1.6 (5 races)
Richmond Raceway - 1.5 (2 races)
Homestead - 1.33 (3 races)
Twin Ring Motegi (oval) - 1 (2 races)
Twin Ring Motegi (road course) - 1 (1 race)

Average Winning Starting Position By Track Type

Zooming out a bit, it's interesting to compare the different track types. Given the generally good overtaking opportunities, it's unsurprising that a strong starting position matters least on ovals—where the average winning start position across 107 oval races since 2008 is 6.05.

Interestingly, street tracks are only slightly behind ovals, with an average winning start position of 5.86! On many street tracks in the IndyCar calendar, overtaking is relatively feasible due to slow, 90-degree corners often preceded by straights. Strategic wins are also more common on this type of track, as stranded cars tend to prompt quicker race neutralizations.

On road courses (average winning start position: 3.74), the situation differs. Stranded cars are often in safer positions, allowing race control to delay neutralizations until after pit stops. This reduces the number of drivers who can gain places due to caution periods.

Another factor is that road courses often feature faster corners, where overtaking is more challenging. Consequently, pole position offers the best chances of victory on this track type.

Average Winning Starting Position By Track Type:
Ovals - 6.04 (107 races)
Street Courses - 5.86 (83 races)
Road Courses - 3.74 (88 races)
Airport Circuits - 3.00 (5 races)

Also in this Serie:
- The Average Winning Starting Position in IndyCar
- Average Winning Starting Positions per Driver

For this data collection, we used the qualifying positions of race winners. Grid penalties were not accounted for. Additionally, the races at Motegi and Long Beach in 2008 were excluded, as these featured non-reunified grids.